A New World
by Showjumperstar
Summary: Machines weren't always alive. When things started happening, people thought it was an elaborate ruse. Michelle Reese was one of those people. Growing up in the family's stunt horse business, she learned quickly how easily things could be faked. Until one day when The Change occurred in her town. Concept and future character belong to Storm Arashi, who gave me permission.
1. Prologue

There was a time when the Machines weren't alive. It was all crazy talk just a couple of years ago. I promptly ignored whatever black magic was at play. I had my horse ranch to think about, and keeping business going in a falling economy.

Gold Star Ranch was a jewel in central California's desert conditions. It helped the little town's economy; it brought in tourists. We trained horses for film and TV, and for recreational riding and competitions. The ranch had been in my family for generations. I took it over when I was officially an adult, and since then, business started booming.

Then the news stories broke out. At first, they were scattered cases. Some whack job "scientists" found a way to change cars, to make them living. When the stories came out, myself and many other folks in town thought it was some kind of hoax. We knew there were self-driving cars, but they were computer programs inside a car shell. It wasn't until we noticed that news stations began to disappear, or in some cases, news stations were taken over by these cars. Whatever it was that created the Machines in the first place, it spread like a virus. It hadn't hit my neck of the woods just yet. But I knew it was only a matter of time.


	2. Panic at the Ranch

My German Shepherd, Ruger, danced around me, waiting for his dinner. I giggled a little and set the bowl down in my laundry room. He happily sucked up the morsels, his tail wagging slightly. My phone rang.

"Gold Star Ranch, Michelle speaking." I don't know why I answer that way on my personal phone. It's a habit I suppose.

"Hey, it's me. I'm just calling to finalize our barbecue plans," my sister, Kelly, replied. Kelly was older than me, and while she loved the ranch and our horses, she loved doing more technical things in the film industry. She came back to the ranch during holidays to celebrate with me

"They're still on as far as I know. Hang on, gotta put you on speaker," I said. I set the phone down and popped open a couple of cat food cans.

"Oh good. Did you want me to pick up the fireworks this year?" I took the phone off speaker and walked out to the garage. I was hardly paying attention to the sky blue eyes of my truck watching me curiously as I set the cat food cans on the counter. I smiled as my cats jumped down from their hiding places to eat.

"No, I think we'll have enough among all of the other families," I replied, stroking the cats. I turned around and walked back into my house, not registering mentally what I saw. Kelly started rattling off things to do for the party as my body froze in shock.

"…but I was thinking that we could do a couple of games like that. What do you think?...Michelle?" My hands shook.

"Impossible!" I simply said. Ruger stepped out from the house, and barked loudly at the truck. It recoiled from the dog slightly. This only happened within a few hours, I only just parked my truck in the garage for the night.

"Well you don't have to be mean about it. It was just a suggestion," my sister's voice said as I pulled the phone away from my ear.

"Kelly…are…are you able to see your car right now?" This had to be a dream.

"Yeah…? Don't tell me you're freaking out about those crazy experiments!" her voice accused.

"I don't know if I am or not. Ruger…shush!" Ruger continued to bark at the truck he used to love to ride in. I pushed him back into the house and quickly turned on the local news.

"Michelle…I don't understand…this was supposed to have stopped." Conveniently, the news was covering the sudden Change event.

"Kelly…be careful…I'm gonna have to go. Love you, sis."

"You be careful yourself! I'm hearing the city's sirens going off." I could hear a man yelling at everyone to go to their apartments and the heavy revving of engines. We hung up and I stared at what one viewer caught on camera.

"They're terrorizing everyone here!" the man shouted. My cell phone rang, as well as my house phone. Heaven only knew my office phone was ringing as well. I ignored the calls and grabbed my walkie-talkie.

"Everyone to the arena, now!" I shouted into the walkie.

The ranch's 30 employees talked nervously amongst themselves. Most sat in the bleachers, others paced around. Fortunately, we weren't having a mad Machine attack, but we weren't sure if it was a threat.

"Michelle, what are we gonna do?" asked Kevin, one of two mechanics on the ranch. His brown eyes were wide with panic.

"First, everyone, calm it down! Let's approach this as if they aren't hostile. My truck didn't run me over, so I'm going to assume no, until proven otherwise. Out of safety, we're locking the ranch down. When things start to calm down, we'll send a wagon out for supplies. We'll speed up the process on getting that cattle herd and we might have ourselves a makeshift cattle drive to get them here. Until we know for sure what's going on, assume nothing has changed. Horses are still to be taken care of, as if I didn't need to mention that. We'll still have our Fourth of July barbecue…just Kelly won't be up here due to obvious circumstances. Panicking will only cause problems. Those of you starting your shifts now, get to it. Just watch if there are any aggressive Machines. Arm yourselves and shoot if necessary."

"Yeah, because shooting a Machine would totally kill 'em. Shoot a bear and you just piss 'em off," Bill said. Bill was big into high country riding, and trained packhorses and mules for hunting and camping. He fit the stereotype; gruff, grisly, and he adored the horses he worked with.

"But it might make them back off. Shoot them in the windshield…or eyes…or whatever it is now!" one of the exercise riders replied back. I rubbed my temples.

"Try to diffuse the situation before a gun goes off, how's that? Again, we don't know if the ones on the ranch are hostile. If they decide to leave, let them leave. Do not fight the Machines. We just have to show them that we're not going to lose the ranch because of them. Meeting adjourned. Go check your food supplies, and tomorrow, we'll send out some wagons to go get food…assuming the rest of the town didn't loot the stores." Everyone departed from the arena to their homes. I was alone in a matter of minutes. I shut off the arena lights and made my way back to my house, Ruger on a trotted next to me. I guess I was going to put my strategy to the test. Keep your friends close and your enemies closer.


	3. Making a Friend

The news drabbled on. Looting, murders, "accidents", it was as if we entered an apocalypse. No one knew why the Machines turned hostile on us. My guess comes from the idea that Karma is biting most of those people in the butt. I hadn't heard anything happening on the ranch, other than half of the Machines did drive off. I didn't even know if my truck was still in the garage. I started to feel bad that I left my truck in the garage by itself. I turned the TV off and rubbed my temples. The migraine medicine wasn't helping at all. Cursing under my breath, I decided to stop putting things off.

The garage was quiet, minus the sound of something large moving. It was also dark; the only think I could see was the light of the moon hitting the truck's metallic body. I turned on the light, noticing the truck blink a few times to adjust to the light.

I remember when I first bought the truck…when it wasn't alive. It was white, and then I ordered a few stickers to put on it for the ranch's information. Now my truck had a face of sorts. The windshield was replaced with eyes; light sky blue eyes. The mouth rested just under the grill. I couldn't wrap my brain around whatever was going on. This just wasn't possible…period. It stared at me, and for a moment I forgot why I was in the garage. I was about to talk to my truck. I mean, I talk to my horses…but they're living beings…a truck?

"Um…hi." Well that was weak. But I did receive what could be described as a raised eyebrow from the truck. I was nervous, was it calculating on how to kill me without getting a dent?

"Hi," he simply replied with a small smile.

"So…you're a talking truck…" _So far, I'm totally nailing this conversation, _I thought grimly.

"And you're what the radio calls a 'Squishy'…"

"So this whole Change thing was through the radio?" I supposed it would have explained how he Changed…but then again…aww who am I kidding? Nothing made sense. Maybe the migraine medicine really did kick in.

"Don't know. I just get whatever's on at the moment. Supposedly we're supposed to hate you…so um…do I?" So this truck that was advertised as being a strong, rugged vehicle that can pull ten-horse trailers with ease is shy. I almost wanted to laugh.

"You tell me? Supposedly we 'squishies' are supposed to be afraid of you Machines. So far…I'm just really freaking confused."

"I don't think I can hate someone who takes care of me…so I guess I don't hate you. Do you think all of the fighting will stop?" I shrugged, allowing myself to relax a little.

"Dunno. Humans overreact to everything. I guess I can't say I'm not guilty of that. I'm not quick to judge the situation as…well…bad either." We were awkwardly silent. One of my cats, Ollie, strutted himself over to me and rubbed against my legs, purring heavily.

"Is your sister okay?" I almost forgot that she was experiencing the same thing.

"I don't know…I guess we'll have to continue this conversation later. I'm Michelle…if you didn't know that. Do you have a name?" He looked down, his grill contorting in though.

"Call me Speed," he finally said with a smile.

"Okay…Speed…I'll be back later." I ran back into the house and grabbed my cell phone. I ignored most of the calls all day and had a full voicemail box and missed calls in the 40s range. I dialed Kelly's cell and muttered under my breath about wanting something more instant.

"Michelle! So glad you're okay! It's pandemonium in LA! I'm so glad I just went grocery shopping this morning. My car took off; the parking lot is almost empty. All of the decent cars are gone. The only ones left are the clunkers and apparently motorcycles aren't Machine enough to change. Although I guess they might have and they're just gonna kill their owners. Michelle, how's the ranch? Are any of the horses hurt?"

"Kelly!" she was talking so fast that she would have done well as an auctioneer. "I'm fine, the Machines that apparently are following the orders to hate the humans left without any issues. The horses are fine. I don't know what it's like in town; I know we had orders to stay inside, but the reports on the news are suggesting other. Are your neighbors behaving?" Kelly was panting.

"They are for now. I heard suitcases, though I'm not sure where they plan on going. I have enough food to last me a month, thank God for bulk buying," she chuckled.

"Somehow we'll get you up here. Don't make it to obvious that you're there, though you're more effort to get being on the top floor anyway. When things start calming down, we'll come get you. Just lay low, we'll keep in touch." I wasn't sure if I should start talking about Speed now, or wait until things settle.

"How are you going to get me when you're four hundred miles away?" My older sister sounded ten years younger.

"We'll cross that bridge when we get there," I replied. Someone was knocking at my door. "I have to go, just lay low. Love you."

"Love you too, sis." I set my phone down and opened the door to find some of my employees looking back. Their families stood in the background, suitcases resting at their feet.

"Michelle, we love you, we really do…but there's strength in numbers that we don't have. We're going to move into town where we have protection from these monsters," Lisa, a dressage trainer, said sadly.

"Lisa, Mike, Jen…nothing's happened here. What if you just talked to the Machines? Maybe you'll find that they don't want to hurt you guys. And what am I going to do now that I'm down three trainers?"

"Stop being so chipper about this situation! I'm sorry, but I think business is over. This is the end of the human race as we know it, with these…Machines taking over the world so quick, it's only a matter of time until there's an all out war ending it all," Mike said, frustrated.

"I'm stressing out! I have no way to get hay or food for two hundred horses, let alone food for my employees and myself. I have horses on this property that aren't mine, and now I can't even send them back to their owners saying, 'your horse's training is complete, good luck with your future endeavors'. I'm staying positive because that's what's keeping me sane right now. The world as we know it is over, but that doesn't mean we should start panicking and making rash decisions like moving!" I sank to my knees, tears welling up quickly. "Is it too much to ask to stay the rest of the night and truly think about it?"

"I'll stay tonight," Lisa said. I stared past everyone toward town. Four miles of flat land lay between the ranch and the one mile squared community. I could see lights, and suddenly a large eruption of red, orange, and yellow. We're too far away to hear anything, but I don't want to know what's going on. The others were following my gaze across the dark land. They all grumbled something about staying and walked off, leaving me with a panting German Shepherd in the threshold of my home.

I closed the door and turned on the TV, hoping to find some normalcy to my evening. The only thing on most stations was interviews with racecars about a big race.

"Nine in the evening and they're still interviewing racers? I wonder what happened to their drivers." I shuddered after saying that.

"And here's the rookie everyone's been wanting to see…Lightning McQueen!" an announcer said. A cherry red car rolled up to the announcer. He started talking, acting cocky. It was like the Machines knew what was going on all along. Although, I don't really know how long the Change had been happening. It was a slow process for a while though, because most of California had been affected only today. I shut the TV off. Ruger must have gone to bed since he wasn't by my feet. I couldn't relax enough to sleep tonight. I turned my head over to the laundry room door and caught myself wondering how Speed was feeling.

Because part of me truly did care about his wellbeing, I got up to check on him. I knocked gently on the garage door.

"Come in," I heard him say. I opened the door. I left the light on in a hurry to check on Kelly, and suddenly felt bad.

"Hey," I said less awkwardly.

"I'm sorry you're having issues with your employees." He heard that? I took a deep, shaky breath and shrugged.

"Like I said before, humans overreact to everything."

"How's your sister?"

"She's fine. Panicked but fine. When things calm down, I'm gonna get her up here…somehow. Anyway, I wanted to…make sure you were comfortable before I went to bed." Speed smiled softly.

"I'm fine, thank you." I flicked the light switch down and closed the door. A brick wall seemed to have come out of nowhere, and I found my way to my bed and crashed. I didn't even bother with changing.


	4. Territory

I raced around the room as I changed into something clean. I forgot to set my phone's alarm, and it died sometime during the night. I was late to work on _my_ ranch, though thankfully not by much. I sprinted out of the house while I tied my messy blonde hair into a ponytail. Ruger chased after me, barking playfully. Ranch hands pushed wheelbarrows full of hay to the pastures in the back of the ranch. Some of them waved to me. Thankfully they didn't have to push too far. I had a sudden idea.

"Those of you who need to feed the back, wait up," I announced through the radio. I saw everyone stop and look in my direction. I jogged back to my house and – forgetting to knock – barged into the garage. Speed jumped a little bit and gasped.

"Sorry," I breathed. It was already hot out, and I wasn't awake enough to be running around.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing really, except the Machines we normally use to feed the horses in the back of the property are gone. Did you wanna go out and stretch your wheels?" I tapped the garage button and let the sunlight flood the room.

"Really? What about the others?" He asked using his mirrors to see the ranch.

"They'll just have to get over it. But, you don't have to work if you don't want to. I don't want other Machines with a thirst for 'squishies' thinking we're using you as a slave or something." Speed's engine turned over and I followed him out of the garage. He rolled next to me as I walked over to the ranch hands.

"Really? You're going to use a Machine? Isn't this jumping the gun a little bit there, Michelle?" Lisa asked, eyeing Speed nervously. I didn't notice he backed up behind me. I mused over the shy truck thought.

"_Speed_ is still part of the ranch family. I think we need to embrace this fact and give him a job to do. No, I'm not turning a blind eye to the situation, but we all still have obligations to the horses. If we can show the Machines that we can get along with them, we're less likely to turn into road kill…that's my reasoning at least. Now, bring over that hay so we can feed the kids in the back. Can someone cover my group?" I dropped Speed's tailgate and after a few moments of hesitating, we were loading hay up. I stepped up on the driver's side runner and held onto the roof rack. Speed drove on with me pointing the way. Lisa, Kevin, and Stacy started to relax and focused on throwing the hay into the feeders. There were four large pastures, each holding ten horses.

"Stallion barn next?" I asked Lisa. When it came to feeding, I fed in the main barn, and I wasn't sure who fed in what order.

"Yeah and then we're done feeding. I'll walk back from the stallion barn," Lisa said, still uncertain about Speed. Kevin chuckled.

"This is kinda fun. Hey, Speed, think you can convince my truck to lighten up. The guy's a little uptight," he said. I smiled in his direction. I knew he would warm up to Speed – and possibly the other Machines – quickly.

"Um…sure…" Speed replied uncertain. We rode over to the stallion barn in silence. The only sounds were Speed's engine and the crunching of gravel under his tires.

"Hey, did you guys catch the Machines' obsession with that big race that was supposed to happen?" Kevin asked after a minute. We had jumped down and split up in the barn. Lisa started throwing hay in the feeders, and I mixed grain for the stallions that needed it. Gold Star Ranch had ten big name stallions in the country, which probably isn't a thing anymore.

"What happened to the humans that were involved?" Lisa asked. Something told me she wasn't going to warm up to the Machine world. I didn't blame her, but then again, this was the way things were going to be.

"I don't know, but I kinda wanna watch the race, what time is it on?"

"I think three this afternoon," Speed replied to Kevin, showing a little bit of excitement. I noticed Lisa close her eyes and sigh, like she was hoping she was in a dream. Speed seemed to notice too and frowned.

"Sweet, I'm off by then!" exclaimed Kevin. He was acting like a kid in a candy store. I wasn't sure what I'd do without him. He was always the "worry for a second and brush it off the next" kind of guy.

ooooooooo

When Speed, Kevin, and I rolled back to the main barn, we noticed a couple of other Machines helping in some way. There was a truck and a car parked next to the office building. They were chatting with some of the ranch hands. I smiled. This was how we needed to approach the situation.

"Because the barns aren't meant to be driven through with larger vehicles, we'll have to make it a rule that the Machines cannot be in the barns," I said.

ooooooooo

Most of the day went by smoothly. The horses were worked; I handled all of the phone calls I possibly could handle, with help from my secretary and farm manager. I almost thought the day was normal. The hay farmer I usually bought from had Machines who were willing to work for him, so hay was not an issue anymore, for now thankfully. Sadly, I probably turned into his only client. For background noise while I worked on paperwork, I turned on the office TV. It was a mistake, as all we saw was what we wanted to avoid, violence, human versus Machine, Machines against each other, and Humans fighting humans.

"Don't turn it off, look!" Macy, my secretary, said as I reached for the remote. The story changed to show the mayor of our town standing at City Hall.

"Through much debating over the night and the day, we as humans managed to claim the town as ours. Machines will leave us at once, and they will never bother us again. As taking an example from other states, our little town is now considered Human Territory. Our territory spans from the hills to our west, to the interstate in the east, and the hills to the north and south are the other borders. There are only two other established human territories in the state of California. One in Los Angles and one in a small town north of Sacramento." He hesitated for a second, fighting back what could only be described as shock. What our territory size was 15 miles east to west and 10 miles north and south. And I could only imagine what he was feeling now. By this point, more hands were standing in the office, watching the TV. Fear was painted on all of their faces. They knew a lot of people have died in just one day. I could see some of our new friends watching what they could see, though they were more than likely listening to the radio broadcast.

"We are considered fair game to Machines who catch us outside of our territory, and as a reciprocal, Machines are fair game if caught inside our territory. Let this be a warning to everyone and everything; you are playing a dangerous game should you leave or stay. There is no Mercy time should any human want to leave…but I ask you, not as a mayor, but as a human being with morals, at least give the Machines a day to leave. Help them out to give them enough of a chance to make it to the city. Thank you," he finished. He stepped off of the podium and walked back into the Hall.

Lisa threw her hands up. "That's it! The Machines have got to go! It'll be a bloodbath if some trigger happy fools set foot on this ranch!" She wasn't quiet about her tirade either. Some of the Machines parked outside backed up and slowly crept toward the gate. They all looked uncomfortable.

"Now wait a minute," I called, calming down the nervous energy building. I stepped out to the cars. "Lisa, you wanted to leave, you're safe to leave, I would much rather you weren't here antagonizing our friends, than kicking them out. However, I'm not forcing any of you Machines to leave either. If you feel better about leaving, then you're free to leave also." They stared at me, and slowly, they all drove down the driveway and toward the interstate. Speed was the only one who stayed. He moved close enough for me to rest a hand on his hood. It was warm from the heat of the sun and his engine.

"I'm not going to deal with any intolerances. Same policy I've always had extends to Machines. If you don't like it, suck it up. It's time for evening feeding again; so let's just take care of that. I know I said we'd send a wagon out but I think it'd be in everyone's best interest to wait one more day." I finished my statement, my cheeks hot from the July heat and emotions churning inside me. Some murmuring could be heard through the group. I had a feeling this was only the beginning.

ooooooooo

I managed to get a hold of the grocery store, and requested for food to be put on hold. I was rewarded with a pallet full of various canned goods and then some fresh products like cheese and milk. I set the schedule to send a wagon in in the morning and hung up. The food will last for a little while.

I sighed and sat back in my office chair. Lisa decided to leave as well as more ranch hands. It was down to just fifteen employees and myself caring for two hundred horses. It wouldn't be hard to do, I know of several ranches that have a small staff and manage a lot of horses. I decided not to dwell on it and checked the time. It was just past dinnertime. I dialed in Kelly's number.

"I'm so happy to hear from you! When I heard there were only three human territories in California, I thought . Mom and Dad managed to move to the northern California one. They said a nice semi was offering rides to the territory edge and that some other Machines were offering a protection. They only had to pay for some fuel. I bet it was just the Machines' way of getting rid of us quicker." Relief washed over me as well as guilt. I almost forgot about our parents.

"Why does the news always have to cover the bad stuff?" I asked dryly. I bet no one was going to even mention that some Machines truly wanted to help the humans.

"Because that was probably a rare thing that is likely not going to happen again since Machines are taking over. Why try to bring hope to a dismal situation? Speaking of, did all the Machines leave the ranch?" It was like she jumped on the bandwagon and didn't examine the situation at all.

"Actually no. My truck, Speed, stayed. His thought was that he's being taken care of here, and he has a job, why leave? The other Machines left when our mayor made the announcement about the established territories. I've been watching planes flying off and vehicles of all sorts leaving all afternoon. The only thing on TV besides the announcements about the territory stuff is about this big race that's been apparently planned for a while with the Originals. I heard something about a race around the world for the planes. Whatever it is, TV is pretty much now just a means to get information about the rest of the world." I realized I was rambling. Kelly stayed quiet.

"Michelle…just be careful. You have a heart of gold and yet, that could be what kills you. I'm gonna go. I'm thinking people need help moving the clunkers out of our territory. I'll talk to you later."

"Bye, sis." The other end of the line died with a click. I knew, of all people, Kelly would turn around quick. She hasn't experienced the situation like I have. I looked over at Ruger, who wagged his tail as we made eye contact.

I made my way out to the garage to see how Speed managed the day. He gave me a small smile as I entered the room.

"Did you like the feeding stuff?" I asked him.

"I did, actually…thanks," he replied with a smile.

"Tomorrow I need to go into town. Unfortunately with the big ado about open game, it's probably best you stay here. Is that okay?"

"I suppose that would be for the best…"

"Good night." Speed relaxed and closed his eyes with a sigh.


	5. Attack

**A/N: This is where the T rating will come in. If you don't like violence or minor cussing, please stop reading now. I try to keep it at a minimum, but for affect, there is some T rated stuff. **

Our draft team chewed on their bits and waited for the other teams to be hitched. I was so thankful to the fact that we had so many wagons for films; I didn't know they would come in handy practically versus prop. The news had quieted down about battles. Speed was parked next to me as I handed everyone a list of things they needed to pick up at the various stores.

"If they don't have it, don't argue…we'll figure something out. I'm going with Kevin and the drafts to pick up the pallet of canned goods from the grocery store. Leave one person with the horses at all times!" The three other wagons trotted off. Kevin jumped into our wagon and waited. Speed backed up to face me.

"Be careful," he said. I rested a hand on his hood and smiled up at him.

"You too." I left the rest of the hands as guards, though no one would want to travel so far out of the main part of town. I trusted my extended family to leave Speed alone. I jumped up into the wagon and took the reins from Kevin.

Ooooooo

The trip to town was quiet. Everyone was pretty much told to stay inside. The stores had some looting, but that was stopped quickly. Since the Machines left yesterday, the panic level dropped. There were some people walking their dogs along the empty street, acting as if nothing had happened. I drove the wagon up to the entrance of the grocery store. Kevin hopped out and jogged inside. Within a few minutes, someone with a pallet jack rolled out a tall stack of cans.

"Thank you so much for doing this!" I said, shaking the manager's hand. He returned the handshake.

"It's not a problem, though I can't do this anymore since we are probably not going to have food in a couple of days. Are you gonna be planting a larger garden this year?" The manager, Earl, was an awesome guy. I knew him before I took over the ranch business. I nodded.

"Yeah, I have a couple of teams scouting for a large bag of wheat seed along with some other crops. I might be able to grow it. Thankfully we do have some large farms in our territory." Earl nodded in agreement.

After about ten minutes of wrestling with the heavy pallet, we managed to get it on the low back of the wagon. The shocks groaned with the weight, but I knew they would hold. I handed Earl a check and followed Kevin back into the driver's bench. The two Shires snorted at the sudden heavier load, but they pulled it with ease.

"Things are gonna get serious when food runs out," Kevin stated in a voice low enough for only me to hear him. I simply nodded. My cell phone rang.

"Hey, we got some seed! The owner said no one has bugged him for anything. We've got a huge selection here. We're going to get corn, lettuce…Michelle, are you okay with us getting some trees? He has some orange tree saplings." I chuckled, a sound I didn't think I'd hear from my mouth for a while.

"How much is this going to cost me?"

"Not as much as you might think."

"Fine, but I'll put you in charge of the farm. Get back to the ranch though before you buy anything else." His response was a laugh and the beep of the phone call ending.

Oooooooo

We were halfway through the trip, which was again, uneventful. It was hot, only a couple of days left until the fourth. I doubted we would see fireworks light up the horizon this year.

"Who won that race?" I asked Kevin. I startled him out of his thoughts.

"That Lightning McQueen one. I was rooting for Gordon," he laughed. I giggled.

"Did they say anything about what happened to the drivers?"

"Something about chasing them off. They're probably in the nearest territory."

He shrugged and continued watching the flat land slowly pass by. About a quarter mile up the road, there was a small plume of smoke. Curious about it, I picked the horses up into a trot and we covered the quarter mile quickly. The site was horrendous.

Three men were hitting a lone Machine with a baseball bat. The Machine was a small green sedan. Smoke poured from its engine compartment. Its engine struggled to start; it coughed and backfired a couple of times too. Windows were cracked as well as one side of its windshield. It had two flat tires and dents all over its body. It was wincing from pain and begging the attackers to stop. Oil left a trail on the asphalt about fifty feet long. The three men were shiny with sweat, and it was obvious they were at it for a while.

I stopped the wagon and set the brakes. The horses were snorting nervously at the smoke, but I knew they wouldn't take off. Kevin flew off of the wagon and ran over to pull the attackers away from the car. I reached for a pistol I realized I left in a storage compartment in the wagon. I had a permit to carry, but I didn't carry. The pistol had blanks in it from the last film the wagon was in. As long as Kevin played along, we could get the guys to go away.

"What the hell are you doing?" shouted one of the men. He almost hit Kevin with the bat and managed to stop mid swing.

"Stopping you monsters from abusing this poor car." Kevin was taller than all three men, and with his straight form, he was towering over the hunched over figures.

"So you're a Machine hugger then? Oh this is just rich! Flank him, I'll just beat his brains out here!" The other two men swooped in quickly. Kevin fought a little bit, but he was sorely outnumbered. I calmly walked over and flashed the pistol.

"Do it, and there will be problems." Even with the poor form of the men, I was shorter than them. The two holding Kevin let him go and put their hands up.

"What, you're defending that piece of trash? I doubt you'd shoot anyway," said the ringleader. He turned his attention toward me and forgot about Kevin. With a snap of my wrist, I sent a warning shot next to the guy's feet. Blanks were basically like BB gun pellets, except that nothing actually fires, but they can hurt terribly if shot at point blank. The three men jumped at the sound.

"Wait until I tell the police!"

"And who are they going to believe? I can make this all look so much different in the officers' eyes. Here I am, just driving my wagon home and as I passed by this attack, you turned on us for all we had. Scared for my life, I pulled out my pistol and shot you in the leg." Being in the film industry was amazing, I could control my emotions just as easy as switching a light on. The man lowered the bat and backed away from me.

"Damn dude, and you've got a warrant! Forget this man, we're sorry to disturb you, miss." The two wingmen sprinted back toward town. The last man just shook his head and walked away, muttering about 'finishing the deed later'. I put the safety back on the pistol and walked back toward the wagon. I leaned against the wheel and let out a shaky breath. Kevin approached me and gave me a reassuring hug, then turned back toward the car. Her breathing was shallow, and a small moan escaped when Kevin examined under her hood. I lead the horses closer so I didn't have to shout.

"How bad is her engine?" I asked. I was afraid to leave her out here by herself in case the men came back. Kevin shook his head, frustrated.

"How are you still alive?" was all he could ask, staring at the one open eye of the car. She closed her hazel eye and whimpered. Her body was visibly shaking.

"We can't leave her alone, and we can't take her back to town. We need to get Speed out here with the flatbed," I stated. I pulled my phone out and called the ranch.

"Gold Star Ranch, how can I help you?" the farm manager's voice asked.

"Zoe, it's Michelle, I need you to hook Speed up to a flat bed and meet us down the highway about a mile and a half toward town. We came across three men beating the life out of a car and we can't leave her out here in this condition."

"Okay." Zoe hung up. She always had a can-do attitude toward her, and unlike half of the employees, she accepted the Machines easily.

Oooooooo

Fifteen agonizing minutes passed and Speed finally appeared. He gasped at the car's broken body. Zoe echoed his gasp as she jumped out of the bed. Speed backed the trailer right up to the car.

"Oh you poor thing! How are we going to get her on the trailer?" Kevin shrugged.

"Is it okay to push you up the ramp? Are you able to move a little bit without your engine?" Zoe asked.

"I…c…can try," the car replied. I didn't realize she had rested her entire body on the ground. She lifted herself up and painfully moved up the ramp onto the trailer. Kevin, Zoe and I pushed as hard as we could. The little car rested on the trailer, another whimper escaping her lips.

"Michelle, I'm gonna go with Speed so I can start working right away. Is that okay?"

"As long as Speed's fine with it."

"Yeah, I'm fine." He looked a little sick, but I think everyone present was a little numb. Kevin stepped onto the trailer and Speed pulled away carefully. Zoe was already in the wagon at that point. I jumped in and released the brake. The horses were only too happy to continue walking home.


	6. Gem

Kevin locked everyone out of the garage while he worked on the car for the rest of the day. She decided to call herself Gem shortly before she passed out from the overwhelming pain she must have been in. Hours passed, chores were taken care of, and Kevin slaved away. The one time I did talk to him, he was going to push on through the night to at least make Gem comfortable. He was afraid he would hurt her, not knowing exactly which parts of the Machines was vital to their living.

"We might need to take her to the border to find help. The only mechanics who would really be able to help are Machines," Speed said on our way back to the house. He had a point.

"But without hands, how are they going to help?" Speed pulled into the garage.

"I guess I should tell you that I've been listening to this radio station ran by Machines who call themselves the "Origins". They've been explaining everything. Buildings have been renovated, or are in the process of being fixed up so we can fit in them with ease, tools have been created for us to use. It's been happening really fast, but these Origin guys have been planning this whole thing since they were created." I ran my hand through my hair and sighed, this was happening way too fast to be real.

"Don't tell anyone though…except for maybe Kevin. We were told we weren't supposed to be 'fraternizing with the enemies'." Speed looked around as if feeling like he was being watched. I looked around too. The valley had a layer of smoke still from the initial Change panic. Everyone could smell it from anywhere in the valley. It was lifting just enough though. We were hitting a cooling trend, which was welcoming in the summer. The sun was sinking over the foothills, drenching the land in orange and gold light.

"Then the best thing to do would be to get her to the border. You heard Kevin's concern about hurting her more. I wonder how we could get in contact with another Machine?" The hair on the back of my neck tingled as the thought crossed my mind.

"I could use the flatbed and tow her to the city. I'll just say I was passing by and saw her just outside of the border." I didn't like the idea of telling stories…and I especially didn't like the idea of Speed going by himself, even with Gem with him he would be coming home by himself. The city was fifty miles away.

"I think you should just tell the truth. Her story just proves that while there are bad humans, there are good ones. We'll fill you up in the morning and escort you to the town border." I thought back to before Speed Changed. He was probably low on fuel.

"Do you want me to let Kevin know?" he asked. I didn't realize how much he had stressed over Gem's situation. His eyelids were low from fatigue and being low on fuel probably wasn't helping. I shook my head.

"Get some rest, it's a long drive to the city. I'll call him." I closed the garage door and turned the light off. I picked up my cell phone and called Kevin to tell him the plan. He hesitated, but agreed it would be for the best.

"I'm going to make sure she'll hold for the night and lock her in. Those guys probably know where we're from, and I don't want to take the chance that they're stupid enough to come out here tonight." I could hear the disgust dripping from his words. We hung up after a quick "goodbye". I skimmed through the phonebook to find a garage in the city so I could give Speed an address to go to. I was so tempted to call, hoping I would hear a human on the other end.

I picked up my phone and started dialing. Before I hit the little green button I stared at my phone. Would Speed be upset that I called them? Would the garage be the place to take her? I cleared the number and set my phone down. I needed to stop thinking about everything for a little while. I turned on my TV and my DVD player and put in the DVD from a competition I rode in a couple of years ago. Ruger jumped up on the couch and curled up next to me as I hit the play button.


	7. No Breaks

**A/N: Let me know if these chapters are too long, or not long enough. I tend to get on a roll and then realize I'm six pages in O.o**

The morning air was cool with a breeze coming over the hills. The valley was clear of smoke finally. I helped Kevin push Gem onto the flatbed. She was reluctant to leave, but knew she would be safer in Machine territory. Kevin helped Speed get ready while I saddled up my Quarter Horse gelding, Gunner.

"Kinda wish I had a golf cart," I said. I didn't have it in mind to ride a ten mile round trip on horseback. I had to get used to the fact that horses were a utility now, and not so much recreation. I also packed my real pistol, though I doubted, hoped, and prayed I wouldn't have to use it.

"You had one," Kevin said finishing the trailer hookups. I _had_ one, which was true. Someone drove it on the ranch's cross country course and it fell into the water obstacle. Not sure how much of that was an accident or negligence; either way, I lost my golf cart.

"Key word being had. Would golf carts have been affected by the Change?" I asked to no one in particular. Kevin shrugged. He walked up to Gem, who smiled at him weakly.

"You take care of yourself now, okay? If you find you're near the area, you have a place to stay here." She chuckled.

"Thank you. I appreciate what you could do for me. I'll make sure to spread the word about how helpful you were." Kevin backed off and waved until Speed, Gem, and I were halfway down the driveway.

OOOOOOOOO

Gunner and I trotted on the soft shoulder next to Speed. I kept my eyes open for trouble, hoping I wouldn't find any.

"Sorry you have to be slow with me," I said to Speed. At best we were going eight miles an hour. He looked over to me and I could tell from his eyes that he was smiling.

"I don't mind. I'd rather not hurt Gem by going quick and hitting a rough spot anyway. I'll get up to speed though when I cross over the border." Gem was tied down loosely so she didn't accidentally roll off the trailer. She rested her body on the floor, so I didn't think there would be a problem.

OOOOOOOOO

"Isn't today the Fourth of July?" Speed asked a little while later. I had slowed Gunner to a walk to let him catch his breath. I completely forgot about the national holiday, of course I had a good reason for it.

"Yeah, but I don't think anyone will be celebrating," I said sadly. I thought about the fireworks still in their packaging in my office. What a waste of money.

We approached the border and stopped. Someone…or something…painted a wide white line on the asphalt. Just on the other side of the line was an overpass to the city. I-5 was quiet, which was eerie. Speed took a deep breath. It was funny how nervous he was.

"Now don't tell stories. Tell the truth. If we have to exist with each other, we might as well learn how to get along," I stated. Speed did a motion close to a nod and drove over the line. I rode over the line too, and though no one was around, adrenaline kicked in and a sense of needing to be alert grew. Gunner felt my body tense and danced a little.

"How do I let you know I'm back…or on my way back?" Speed asked. That…was a really good question. A light bulb went off in my head and I pulled my phone out of my saddlebag. I dialed in the phone number that, prior to the Change, was connected to my truck so I could talk to whoever was driving via Bluetooth. Speed jumped and I heard the speaker on my phone ringing. Speed managed to answer with a triumphant grin.

"Can you hear me?" I asked through the phone. Speed chuckled.

"Well yeah, you're right here," he said and I could hear it through the speaker.

"Smart alec," I muttered. He laughed for a second before figuring out how to hang up.

"Call me when you are on your way. Be careful. Gem, take care okay?" I turned toward the little green car. Her good eye looked back and a smile played at the corner of her lips. Speed drove off, and I watched them drive over the bridge and out of sight. Before I got caught alone, I picked Gunner up into a light lope and headed home.

OOOOOOOO

The news held no significance as it broadcasted on in the background; a plane race was in the pre-race stage and everyone was talking about a cropduster racing. I felt a little uneasy, as it had been two hours since Speed left. I contemplated calling, but was afraid of what would happen to him if he were around Machines that really didn't like humans.

As if on cue my phone buzzed almost off my desk.

"Everything okay?" I asked without missing a beat.

"Yeah, everything's fine. Turns out the Machines here are using the hospital instead of garages. I heard someone saying something about stereotyping…or something. Anyway, Gem will be well taken care of. I'm on my way home now."

"Okay, I'll meet you at the border." I jumped up and nearly sprinted out to the barn to saddle up another horse.

OOOOOOOOO

I wasn't at the border ten minutes before I heard the sound of multiple engines driving over the overpass. Speed was living up to his new name and flying over the border before skidding to a halt, panting. He turned around quickly to face me, fear etched in his features. One of the trailer's tires was shredded. Aspen, a grey thoroughbred gelding, pranced underneath me. He wanted to run, but I was holding him back.

I turned back to face the two rather pissed off machines parked just at the border's edge.

"Squishy hugger!" shouted a red mustang toward Speed's direction. She was revving her engine loudly, causing Aspen to move sideways quickly. I started to calm her down.

"You're lucky the law doesn't allow us to hurt you, you filthy creature!" the other car, a black sports car of some sort, said to me. I chose to ignore it.

"Speed, are you okay?" He was still panting, who knows how long he had to run. He seemed visibly shaken too, which annoyed me.

"Yeah, Speed, are you okay?" repeated the mustang. I rode the nervous horse right up to the only thing between two cars and me. The last time I had an encounter like this, it was on a controlled set and the only emotion was humor because someone was playing "The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly" on their phone. The two cars glared at me, and this time I knew they were trying to figure out how to get me.

Speed was able to catch his breath and rolled up next to me. There was something wrong, I could hear it in the way his engine idled…it just seemed off.

"I think it would be best if you guys left," I said. They may be able to out pace me, but I was on an agile horse that could jump over them…well…they didn't know that I couldn't…but whatever. The two sports cars stood their ground, trying to intimidate me. It worked, I couldn't lie, but I couldn't show them either.

We stood like that for a few more minutes before the two Machines spun around and raced away, spouting explicatives in their wake. I hopped off of Aspen for a minute to catch my shaky breath. I needed solid ground under my feet for my jelly legs. Aspen let out a deep sigh and lowered her head, leaning it against my side.

I didn't realize how quiet it was until I went to look at Speed. His engine was off, and he was still breathing heavily…and wincing.

"Speed…?" I took a step closer and felt the heat radiating from his hood. There was no doubt it was overheated, but was that the only thing wrong?

"How long?"

"Almost the whole way…" his voice was hoarse. I closed my eyes.

"Do you have enough fuel to get home?" There was no way we could get him home otherwise. Knowing trucks, he had enough fuel to pull a full trailer to the city and back and then to town and back twice, but with his racing experience, I'm sure his engine sucked as much gas as it could.

"I-I don't know…" He shivered.

"Is there anything else wrong?" I think he wanted to cry.

"Something snapped after I hit a rough patch of road. I'm…not sure entirely what broke either. I'm sorry, Michelle." He bit back a sob, which hurt him more than I think he realized it would.

"Hey…hey…it's alright. We can wait here and let your engine cool before we try to get you home." Three miles may not seem like much until something is wrong. Speed took a shaky breath in and replied with a small "okay".

I pulled out a couple of what used to be bottles full of ice from the saddlebag. They were still really cold. Speed eyed the bottle curiously. With a wry smile I opened the bottle and poured it on his hood. He jumped in surprise and shivered. Steam rose up to the sky. I put the empty bottle in the saddlebag and opened the still full one. I took a swig of it before offering the bottle to Aspen. He picked the bottle up and lifted it up to let the cold water fall into his mouth. Speed and I laughed for a moment.

OOOOOOOO

We stayed at the border for a couple more minutes, surprised the whole incident lasted twenty minutes or so. I sat on the trailer's fender, holding a napping Aspen. It was getting late in the afternoon, and if we were any later, we would miss feeding.

"I think I'm ready to go," Speed stated as if reading my thoughts. He sounded as exhausted as I'm sure he felt. Aspen woke to his voice, and my mounting up. Speed turned around before starting his engine. It cranked slow a couple of times before it turned over. It squealed in protest a second before it stopped.

"I think your timing belt is the culprit," I said, cringing. I wasn't sure how it was possible…but strange things can happen…example A being a talking truck.

"Yeah, I think you're right. I have enough fuel to get home at the speed limit."

"Just stop if you see someone coming. I'll call Kevin and let him know you're in need of some help and then I want you to go get some sleep." Speed took his time to get up to speed. Aspen and I trotted home.

OOOOOOOO

I gave Aspen a quick bath to rinse out sweat and dust and put him away in time for feeding. Everyone was quiet during feeding and some of them acted like they were hiding something from me. It made me worry a little bit because I had yet to have time to see if Kevin was able to help Speed.

Kevin rounded the breezeway corner and about ran into me with my armful of hay. We both laughed a little harder than I think was necessary. Stress does weird things to people.

"Speed's alright and back at your garage. We both agree that he needs a TV in his room and he elected me to ask you." I tossed the hay into a feed bin and reached for the next flake.

"Oh you both agree that?" I asked grinning. "Yeah, I don't care, you can figure out how to hook the TV in the spare room up."

"Also, when you finish feeding, go to the office. There are a couple of phone calls you need to make. Turns out the city officials weren't happy about what happened at the border." Well that was just pleasant. I nodded and continued to throw hay.


	8. A Pleasant Surprise

My skin tingled and there were butterflies in my stomach as I made my way to the office. The math didn't add up, unless those sports cars were speeding all the way back to the city. As I opened the door a balloon fell in front of me and landed in a pile of balloons on the floor.

"What the…?" I looked up to see everyone standing with a box of fireworks in their hands. I laughed loudly along with everyone else.

"Speed called Kevin just before he left the city and said you were kinda bummed about the party not happening," stated Zoe. Kevin blushed a little.

"This is awesome, thank you! Who's cookin the burgers and hot dogs?" I asked. Mike raised his hand and picked up a box full of food that was sitting on the counter. He moved out with a few other guys to start cooking at the arena.

"That's not all we have," Zoe said mischievously. She pulled her hands from behind her back to reveal a couple of squirt guns…fully loaded.

"You guys rock!" I laughed.

OOOOOOOOO

The party was perfect. The meat sizzled deliciously on the grill. Some of the kids were running around with the squirt guns and laughing. It was a beautiful sound. The shade trees we sat under kept the air noticeably cooler, and the setting sun assisted in quenching the heat. Speed found a spot to park where he could watch the festivities. He said he was sore, but otherwise he was fine. I sat next to him in a camping chair and munched on my burger and chips. The others sat in a circle next to me, and we chatted about the horses.

"I couldn't believe it when Libby decided to chew on Owen's hair. I felt horrible. He took it really well though," laughed Zoe. Zoe had taken a couple of horses to a set Owen Wilson was on a few weeks ago. The laughter lifted everyone's spirits…and perhaps some beer was involved with some of them. One of the kids took everyone's plates and threw them away.

The conversations continued with the ring of friends until it was almost too dark.

"Where'd the flashlights go? We should start the fireworks before it gets too late," Kevin stated walking toward the table of fireworks. Speed turned his headlights on.

"Does that help?" he asked. A chorus of laughter responded. Kevin managed to find his flashlight and a lighter. Parents called the kids over to sit in the grass. Kevin and Mike placed the flashy boxes and tubes in the gravel and began the firework show.


	9. At Fault

The office was dark, the only light coming from a desk lamp that was overlooking science journals. A woman sat back in her chair, staring at the concept drawings and photos of the experiments…the ones called the Originals. Her gaunt hand flipped through the pages of her first journal.

Everyone called her a fool. She spent decades doing experiments in private and failing. They said that science wouldn't create them. She proved them wrong two years ago. When the public became aware, they laughed. Very few believed, and even fewer helped the project grow to it's potential.

Then it spiraled out of control, somehow, her experiments spread like a disease. It was all her fault. Humans were losing their world, and she sat in the shadows, a prisoner to her own creations. She created a plan, to change these Machines to humans…but it wouldn't be easy.

Outside of her office, multicolor flashes painted the sky and the cityscape. The Machines were celebrating something they hardly know about. _She _taught the Originals the history; _she_ helped them learn all they could about the human race. It would be _she_ to stop the Machines.


	10. Saving Kelly

A few weeks passed quietly. We managed to get a large herd of cattle for meat, thanks to Speed for pulling a stock trailer. Our crops were planted. Things were looking up…at least for the ranch. Our little town was struggling with a food shortage, however. Rumor spread that a team went out to the city to hopefully find a large supply of food and never came back. No rogue Machines had driven by to taunt us though, and most of the humans stayed within the border. The 20 humans on the ranch managed with what we had. We took food from the others' houses, starting with perishables. Our canned food supply from the grocery store was slowly dwindling. The good news was the Machines were leaving the feedlot alone, and the humans living outside of human territory weren't being bothered so we had more cattle in the future.

Kelly and I talked almost every night. She said things were getting worse. Gangs were taking over and fire had burnt a large portion of the Los Angeles area down. We had to start thinking fast how we were going to move her up here. Neither of us had heard from our parents either, which worried us immensely.

"Hey, Michelle?" Speed asked one morning. I was feeding my cats and refreshing their water.

"Yeah?"

"Have you figured out how to get Kelly up here? I'm hearing things are getting really bad in the human territory in the south." He looked really concerned. I sighed.

"Nothing yet. I played with the idea of riding down there, but that means camping, and who knows how many Machines are hunting." I mentally shook the image out of thought.

"What if I went down there? We could take these stickers off, and no one would know where I came from." He seemed interested in the idea. It would give us an idea of what the rest of the world looked like too.

"And what, have her lay down in the bed the entire ride? It's not a bad idea, but if something were to happen…" I choked on the thought. Speed became family quick, and the thought of losing him was bad, but losing both him and Kelly was worse. He frowned, knowing my frustration and concern grew every day.

"I could pull a horse trailer, and she could stay in the human part." The living quarters would be more comfortable…

"How would you explain that to another car? Horses…any animals…have landed in the squishy category. And you'd have to pull it through a mountain pass." I never had problems driving the Grapevine before when pulling a full trailer, but I also didn't have Machines out to get humans.

"What about just putting some stuff in my bed…like a tarp, or a bunch of boxes. If anyone asks, then I could just say I'm moving to a quieter city and leave it at that. We need to get her up here, and I'm the only chance. Please, Michelle." I nodded. He was right.

OOOOOOOOO

I really wanted to go, but I knew there would be more risk if there were two humans involved. Speed left about 5 the next morning, putting him in the Los Angeles area about 8. Kevin made sure he was ready for the long trip ahead of him. We tested the phone connection and were relieved it was still working. We put a couple of bales of hay in the bed and put a tarp over them to create a little shell for Kelly and her stuff.

I gave Speed a pat on the hood and wished him luck. He pulled off of the ranch and headed on his way, his taillights fading in the distance.

Kelly was the least bit thrilled that Speed would be picking her up, but she reluctantly complied. She really didn't have a choice though. The last phone call ended with her leaving to pack her clothes and some food.

OOOOOOOO

I swept the barn three times before someone noticed.

"Michelle, are you alright?" Zoe asked. I didn't realize I was crying until she asked. My nerves were shot. I hadn't received any phone calls, or text messages saying anyone was at the rendezvous point, and it was almost 8. Zoe led me over to the stairs to the barn loft and sat down with me.

"What if there's something wrong?" I asked between sobs. Zoe rubbed my back and hummed a little lullaby. Images flashed through my mind of accidents I had seen on TV. My imagination flew with ideas of Kelly being abducted by gang members, or Speed getting hurt. My phone buzzed with a simple text message: _Filled up, on way_ _~K_

"See? They're just fine. I wouldn't text her back in case Speed's in a busy area. I wonder how the Machines are paying for things," mused Zoe, trying to take my mind away from the worry. I felt a wave of relief wash over, but only half of the battle had been fought.

"Let's saddle up and ride for a bit. By the time we finish, they'll be here." I nodded, rubbing my nose against my short sleeve.

I decided to ride my best mare, Chestnut. I pulled her out of her stall and led her to the grooming station. Brushing her calmed me down as I focused on the way the brush moved over her coat. I matched my breathing with hers, and soon I was not thinking about what was going on, minus a nagging feeling in the back of my mind. I finished grooming and began to tack Chestnut up. The leather from the saddle was always a favorite smell of mine.

Zoe finished tacking up just after I did. We led our horses out of the barn and mounted up.

"What did you have in mind?" I asked. Zoe shrugged. She eyed Chestnut and a toothy grin spread on her face.

"Race you! We'll warm up and then race on the cross country course…avoiding the jumps of course," she suggested.

"That sounds like a plan," I said, forcing a smile. The nagging feeling wasn't going away like I had hoped, and it was bothering me as time progressed.

OOOOOOOOO

**Speed's POV**

I rolled into LA, not knowing what to expect. There was carnage everywhere. It was as if a tornado cut through. The air was thick with smoke, causing me to cough a couple of times and my eyes to burn. It was thick enough that it could cause engine trouble if I stayed here too long.

I was nearing the human territory, and as I did, I saw less and less Machine activity. I took note of a gas station just a few blocks away, though I doubted there would be any fuel, and I knew I would need to fill up before we left.

As I approached the border, I noticed how quiet it had become. I could hear voices until I was within a block when they went silent. I rounded the corner to see a wall made of scrap metal. I pushed back the horrifying thoughts about where some of that metal came from. There were five men standing guard at a gate. Two of them lifted their guns to me. I stopped, frozen in fear. The look of hate was painted on all of their faces. I stopped about fifty feet away.

"What are you staring at? Get the hell out of here before I shoot you!" the man in the middle said. I looked away and backed up a little. I didn't see Kelly…not that I knew who I was looking for really. Michelle had described her sister to me, but I was too concerned about the trip to remember.

"Excuse me, I need through," said a woman. The guards turned around, slightly shocked to see a woman with two large suitcases standing in the middle of the road.

"No can do, there's a Machine out there right now!" said one of the men. He turned back to me. "Get out of here! I'll…I'll shoot you!"

"No, don't! It's with me," Kelly said. She didn't look as thrilled to see me as I hoped. When the men turned back, I gave them a shy smile.

"What are you going to do, clunker? You gonna take her out and tear her to shreds?"

"No, I'm…" I began.

"Shut up!" Guns were raised at me again.

"Stop! Just let me through. It's taking me to my sister's ranch, in the Central California territory." She pushed through with her suitcases and approached me slowly. She kept checking around her in case there were other Machines. The men focused their weapons in multiple directions, and one was trained on me. She loaded her suitcases up and slid under the makeshift camper shell.

"Are you ready?" I asked her.

"As ready as I'll ever be…" Kelly replied nervously.

"You don't know what you've got yourself into woman!" shouted one of the men. I didn't turn to find out who it was, I just kept driving as carefully as I could. I pulled up to the gas station I saw earlier.

"I hate to ask…"

"Then don't." I was a little hurt by her comment, but I didn't stop. I couldn't risk going into a more Machine populated area.

"I'm going to need help filling up. Hopefully the station has enough diesel." I felt Kelly scooting out from the bed.

"Honestly, I would think you Machines would have been self sufficient the way you wiped us out." She wasn't particularly careful with hooking me up to the pump. I was so thankful when it ran cool diesel into my tank. A few minute later and we were back on the road again.

"Just let me know if you need to stop and I'll find a safe place for you," I said. Turns out this would be the last thing I would say to her for the rest of the trip.

"Yeah, whatever…just don't kill me."

OOOOOOOOO

The horses were fully warmed up and prancing with energy once we stepped onto the course. I checked my phone and noticed it was close to Speed and Kelly's arrival.

"We avoid the obstacles, of course. How about we race to the halfway point? We can give the horses water there before walking back," stated Zoe. We lined up in the starting box. I tightened my reins and prepared for Chestnut to launch forward.

"On my count…three…two…one!" I pushed my hands forward and squeezed my legs into Chestnut's sides. She bounded forward a couple of strides before settling into a steady gallop. My heart skipped a beat as excitement flooded my body. Zoe's horse, Luke, matched Chestnut's stride and the two horses were nose and nose.

Zoe whooped and hollered, and I couldn't help but laugh and feel the rush of adrenaline burn my veins. We were almost to the finish, and I asked for just a little more speed from Chestnut, knowing she still had it. She flattened out her body and lengthened her stride. We started to pull away until Zoe let Luke go. It was going to be close, but ultimately Zoe won.

"And the Triple Crown goes to Zoe Lang and Diamond Bar! The crowd goes wild!" Zoe laughed, slowing Luke to a walk. I pulled Chestnut up next to them and pretended to hold a microphone.

"So Zoe, tell me, what are you going to do next?"

"I'm going to Disneyland!" she replied. We hopped off and led the horses over to the water obstacle for a drink. She and I giggled the entire time…until I checked my phone.

"They're in our territory!" I shouted joyfully, startling Zoe. I wanted to cry with relief. Zoe and I mounted our horses and rode quickly back to the front of the property. I called everyone on the radio as we rode up. By the time we made it to the office, Speed was turning onto the property, a tired grin spread on his grill. I hopped off of Chestnut as he parked in front of the office.

Kelly poked her head from under the tarp, she was a little sweaty and a little frazzled, but the same sister I've always known. She scrambled out of the bed. Before I gave her any time to breath I attacked her with a hug, which she quickly accepted and hugged back.

We stood like that for what seemed like forever until I felt a hand on my shoulder. I pulled back out to see who it was. Kevin, with a tear in his eye, scooped Kelly into a hug as well. The others lined up to hug Kelly. I pulled back and led Chestnut over to see Speed. Poor guy, he looked exhausted.

"How are you feeling?" I asked, slightly worried about other problems.

"I'm fine. Just really tired." I set a hand on his hood, which was the best way to give him a hug. He drove back to the house to rest while the rest of us finished what needed to be done on the ranch. Zoe volunteered to take care of Chestnut so I could be with my sister.

OOOOOOOOO

"It took me an hour to get from my apartment to the meet up spot. Our territory is surprisingly big," Kelly said while I helped her unpack. Once we got back to the house, she took a shower and made herself comfortable.

"You didn't have any problems though walking by yourself?" With the gangs running amuck, I feared there would be problems. Kelly shook her head.

"Thank goodness, no. Well…not until I got to the border I was supposed to meet your truck. There were some gang members there that tried to convince me not to go when I walked out. They were holding some big guns and watching your…"

"Speed…save some breath, his name is Speed," I said, figuring she would have to get used to him at some point.

"They were watching…Speed…and a couple of them were aiming their guns at…him. I had to just push through them and go. I'm so glad to finally be here!"

"I'm glad you're here too, Sis," I said. We packed quietly for another minute before I excused myself to check on Speed.

I knocked on the garage door and a sleepy, "yeah?" responded.

"Just me," I said, sliding in. It was still light out. Speed was watching TV, dozing off.

"I didn't wake you did I?"

"Not really. I'm just watching the news. That cropduster won the flying race."

"Well good for him," I replied.

"Can you tell your sister that I'm sorry? I'm not sure what I did or said to make her mad…but I didn't mean it."

"Oh…Hon. She's not mad at you necessarily…just the situation. She faced something crazier than what happened here. I wouldn't take it to heart, okay? Get some sleep. I'm proud of you." Speed smiled lightly and turned his attention back to the TV.


	11. Concern

Months passed with nothing notable to mention. We figured out a way to get fuel for Speed without risking exposing ourselves too much. Summer transitioned into fall. Our new crops were doing well and I knew the plants will welcome the winter season, which was expected to be wet; something surprising in the arid biome. With the smaller numbers in our private community, we had more fruits and vegetables in our garden. October proved to be a mild month. We had a couple of small rain storms come in, which was surprising to everyone.

I finished sweeping out Speed's bed from the morning hay. He seemed out of it today. I knew tension was tight whenever he was around Kelly, but I don't think that's why he was upset. I thought for sure she would have warmed up to him eventually. I guess eventually wasn't three months.

"Hey, are you okay?" I asked hopping down from the bed.

"To be honest…no." He was parked next to one of the pastures where I pushed the loose hay into for an extra snack. I climbed up the fence to be more at eye level.

"What's been going on? If Kelly's been saying anything, I can talk to her again."

"No…that's not a problem. Have you been watching the news?" I shook my head. I pretty much stopped watching the news after the Machines stopped reporting human news.

"Well…there have been disappearances. The closest cases have been the city. Machines have been coming up missing. Investigators are saying it's rogue humans catching them. I'm scared, Michelle! What if they hear I'm in human territory?" He closed his eyes and shuddered. I patted his roof.

"No one will take you. If they do, I'd personally hunt them down." Speed frowned.

"If these humans are powerful enough to harm Machines…then I don't want you to fight them…I don't want you hurt." He was thankfully close enough for me to lean against him and attempt a hug. He leaned into me before I slipped off of the fence.

"I'm stubborn, so just know you won't be abandoned if someone did take you. C'mon, I think you need a break, there's a road that goes up the range behind the property, you can see the whole valley from there." I hopped off of the fence and walked back toward the barn.

"Where are you going?" Speed asked, confused.

"Getting a horse. I'll just be a few minutes." Speed followed and waited for me just outside of the barn. Within minutes I saddled up Gunner and walked out with Speed. Ruger found me and followed along.

We left the property and crossed a dry creek bed before getting on an established dirt road. I knew the owner of the property. He owned thousands of acres for cattle, though this acreage had been void of cattle for years. He gave me permission to ride on it, and I found a spot that had an amazing view. I rode just off of the path; Speed drove next to me.

It was the perfect day to go on a trail ride. There were some clouds in the sky, patching the land with shadows. There was a light breeze. I took a deep breath and sat deeper in the saddle, enjoying the ride. Ruger loped ahead of us, his tail wagging on occasion.

"Where do you think they're hiding the cars?" Speed asked. Well so much for taking his mind off of things.

"Don't know."

"I hope they're okay…" He stayed quiet the rest of the way to the spot.

"Welp…here we are!" I announced. I loved this view, especially after it rains. The air is so clear and fresh. The grass is starting to turn green at this point, adding color to a desert.

"This is amazing!" Speed said in awe as he parked next to me.

"Yeah…" Even with the world falling apart, this spot will always remain special.

We remained there for a half hour before we decided to head back. Ruger took the lead as we hit the road.

OOOOOOOOO

At last she had control again, though her creations had no clue. She rounded up an elite team of scientists to collect victims for her newest creation. Soon, they would feel what it was like to die, and to lose everything they had as fast as they had acquired it.

"Your first subject is ready," a male's voice on the intercom spoke. There were sounds of struggle. _Good,_ she thought.

"I'll be right down." Her high heels clicked down the hallway and into the elevator.

OOOOOOOOO

"Michelle, we need to talk…" Kelly spoke as we watched a movie in the living room. She sounded nervous, like she'd been planning this for a while.

"Sure, what's up?"

"It's…about Speed. He's not mad at me…is he?" I was taken aback. This wasn't what I was expecting to talk about, granted I didn't know what to expect.

"What? No…why would you say that? He's been trying to be your friend ever since you came up here."

"I've been a bitch to him…and…he's been so nice to me. I tried to talk to him today, but he avoided me. Has he said anything?" Her eyes were moist, and I realized that she really wanted to make amends.

"No…he's been out of it today. Things in Machine land are not doing well, and he's afraid something will happen to us. Go talk to him, he's probably bored since it's a rest day." I paused the movie and made a "shoo" gesture with my hands. Kelly giggled a little and silently walked over to the garage.

OOOOOOOOO

A yelp greeted her when the elevator opened, revealing a warehouse like room. Lining the walls were cells large enough for most vehicles to fit in. One wall held some of the Originals, ones that were too weak to do anything. In the center of the massive room was a simple desk with a computer. Connected to that computer was a set of four robot arms similar to arms found in production factories.

Her first victim, an Original, struggled to start his engine. Her scientists slashed his tires and cut some important cables to keep him from running, though part of it was for show to the other monsters. The robotic arms had clamped themselves onto his body and were waiting for a simple command and password from the one in command. She strutted up to the computer, not taking her eyes off of the car. He realized at that point he wasn't going to win, and stopped fighting.

"Oh…" she cooed. "Don't look like that. Being a human isn't all that bad." There was a choir of gasps from the other Machines. One prisoner, a cropduster, rammed himself against the cage and failed, snapping one of his props.

"Initializing process in three…two…one…" She hit the enter key just as a brilliant light glowed from where the Original rested. A blood-curdling scream filled the building. After a moment, the screaming and the light subsided. Crawling where the car once had been, was a man. He looked up, his body shaking, and stared right at the silhouette of the woman.

"You monster!" he managed to say before the pain was too much. Two of her team members picked the man up and dragged him over to his cell.

"I'm not the monster here, you are…you all are! You will pay for what you have taken from us, your creators. I will not stop until the world is back to the way it was before! Since that thing is so eager to get out, bring the cropduster!"


	12. The Drive

More Machine abductions were shaking the radio waves over the next several weeks. Well-known racers had turned up missing days before a race. Speed grew more nervous as the days went on. He withdrew himself from us more and more. Even talking to Kelly and becoming a friend of hers didn't help anything. He wouldn't talk to anyone but me, and he wouldn't leave the garage unless I was with him.

The morning feeding went all right until someone dropped something in the barn. It hit the cement breezeway with a loud crack, like the sound of a gun. Speed panicked and almost ran me over. I stepped into the garage later to see if he was okay. He about took out the garage door he was so jumpy.

"You're gonna blow a head gasket if you don't relax. Do you wanna go for a drive today and let off some steam? You can drive out of the border so you're safe. I don't want you to feel like you have to stay locked away all the time." Speed took a couple of deep breaths before responding with a "sure".

"Can you come with me?" he asked childlike when we reached the front gate. I texted Kelly quickly telling her what was going on, and jumped back into Speed's bed. We pulled off of the property and headed toward the city. Speed was careful, though he was going the speed limit. I stood and looked over his roof, holding onto the roof rack.

I was thankful I had my hair in a ponytail, the wind hit my face hard, and I knew my hair would be a ratted mess.

"Where do you want to go?" Speed asked, slowing just enough for me to hear him. We had been driving for about fifteen minutes at this point.

"Wherever you want to go. If I see someone coming, I'll lay down." He accelerated down the highway, laughing and relaxing. _Good_ I thought, hanging on as best I could.

OOOOOOOOO

After a few minutes, I had to sit down; I was about to fly if I kept standing. Speed slowed too, catching his breath. I'm pretty sure he was living up to his name. He pulled over and stopped next to an Orange grove. It looked like someone was taking good care of it. Very few weeds were growing, and the trees looked like they were just watered. That thought bothered me, because I didn't know if human or Machine was caring for it.

"Michelle…duck!" Speed whispered quickly. I flattened myself out in the bed, my heart raced.

"You broke down?" a female voice asked as an engine approached. She stopped just a few feet away, and I only hoped Speed was taller than the car.

"Nah, takin a breather. Went for a bit of a drive, and I'll admit, I kinda pushed it," Speed said with a chuckle. Hopefully he didn't look like he was trembling.

"Where'd you come from? There's nothing out here for miles!" Something was off in her voice. I tensed, and Speed stopped trembling…he caught the tone in her voice too. _C'mon, Speed, start your engine and talk about leaving…_

"I live just outside of the city. It's such a beautiful day; I decided to go on a drive. I was about to head back right now actually. What are you doing so far out?" He started his engine. _We really need to work on your leaving skills…_ I thought bitterly.

"Checking for rogue humans. We can't be too careful now with those stories going on. I'm actually a city representative, and I was given permission to speak with the territory rep at the border. He said there might be a Machine living in the territory that needs to be moved." _She's lying,_ I thought. The mayor made it perfectly clear on no accounts that they were going to be meeting with any Machine after the divide. _She knows…_ I braced myself for Speed to take off.

"Really? There's someone dumb enough to be living with the squishies?" I bit back a little giggle.

"Yeah. As a matter of fact, the description we got from an anonymous caller was a white truck named…oh…I forgot. It starts with an 'S' I think." _Some little snitch is gonna get it when we get home_. I was beyond angry. No words could come close to what I was thinking.

"Funny, I know of a few white trucks. Seemed to be a popular vehicle before the Change. Anyway, I should start heading home. It's been a pleasure talking to you, Miss." Speed started to pull away calmly.

"Where'd you say you were from again?" she asked suspiciously. I looked up…and saw a sticker for the ranch on the window. My heart sank.

"Just outside the city. I don't know what the humans called it before. Anyway, have a nice day."

"Wait just a minute, Speed." Speed stopped suddenly.

"Drive!" I whispered. Speed's engine revved and gravel went flying as his tires struggled for traction. With a jolt he caught asphalt and launched forward. I slipped a little bit and bounced.

"Stop right there!" the car shouted, her engine accelerating. She was right behind us. Speed kept driving, and I'm sure we were almost at 100 miles an hour. The car was easily able to keep up. She started shouting orders, meaning she was connected to someone else probably via Bluetooth. I couldn't make out what she was saying over Speed's roaring engine. I didn't dare sit up either.

OOOOOOOOO

**Speed's POV**

I wasn't sure how long I had been running, but I wasn't sure how long I could go. The world had turned into a blur, and darkness was creeping on the edges of my vision. Several warning lights beeped at me…but I had to keep going. I felt sorry for Michelle, I was certain it wasn't very comfortable for her. Up ahead, a tow truck and three other cars blocked my path. I was going too fast to turn four-wheel drive on and race around them and through another Orange orchard. I had to stop. _I'm sorry Michelle…_

OOOOOOOOO

His brakes locked up and I slammed up against the top of the bed. The wind left my lungs and I had no choice but to cough. His engine stalled out, and he was having issues starting up again. He was struggling for air and coughing. _This is entirely my fault…Speed…I'm so sorry. _Tears welled up in my eyes and I bit back a sob.

"Hook him up, we don't want him running anymore," said the car, panting a little bit, but otherwise unharmed. Speed's front end was lifted a little and a metal clang filled my ears.

"What…do…you…want…with…me?" He was shaking.

"We just want to talk, someplace safe. Your little companion can come along too. Come on my dear, you don't have to hide anymore." If I said what I was thinking, my mouth would be washed out with soap. I slowly sat up and was surprised to find a woman standing behind Speed. Her arms were crossed. Behind her was a light blue Crown Victoria looking car, with her door open. _The hell is going on here?! _ The woman caught my gaze.

"I wouldn't expect everyone to know that. Now, Michelle…is it? Hop on out and come with me, we won't be long with your friend here. We're just going to take him to the city and ask him a few questions about the abductions. We'll check on his health too, and we'll let you on your way…maybe." I did what she said. My legs felt weak and my breath came short. I looked back at Speed.

"He'll be alright. Now come, you'll be more comfortable with me." The car gave me a sympathetic smile and opened her back door. This just seemed wrong. The interior was smaller than normal, and I couldn't see out of the windshield, which made about as much sense as everything that had been going on in the last several months. What would have been the glass was a thick wall.

"How…" I was at a loss for words.

OOOOOOOOOOO

We were close to the city, about five minutes left. It was eerily quiet in the car as she continued driving. Machines were watching us as we drove by. Would they be horrified knowing humans can ride in them?

"So, Miss Reese, what do you know about the abductions? Oh, Victoria, record this." A beep went off on the car's dash.

"Recording," the car's voice said _through the speaker_. I gave a startled gasp.

"You seem surprised?"

"This car…it's alive…and we're in it. I'm sorry, but none of this makes any sense!" _Oh this'll bite me in the butt later._

"Would that be motive to take an innocent Machine?" the woman asked.

"Who are you?"

"Never mind who I am, dear. But, if you want to address me, you can address me as Ma'am. Now, please answer my question." She never made eye contact with me; she just stared out of the window.

"What question? I didn't take anybody!"

"Then explain why you had a truck in your possession." She turned back to look at me. I had curled myself up into as tight a ball as possible.

"He was my truck prior to the Change. He's my friend now, and he figured he was being taken care of, why hate me and take off?"

"What were you doing then today?"

"He was feeling down, so I suggested he go on a drive. He didn't want to go by himself, so I tagged along." At this point Victoria was braking and turning into a massive building. I dared to take a look at the surroundings, and saw we were in the bad part of the city. No one was around.

"Victoria, stop recording." A beep was the response. We stopped, but Victoria's doors remained locked. Two men in lab coats approached the door, and with a click it opened. They grabbed me and yanked me out, not caring if I had my feet under me or not. I caught myself and struggled to keep up with my captors. I looked around to see where Speed was. He was being backed into a cell.

With a horrible realization that we were in a jail for Machines, I fought to get a clearer look at my surroundings.

"Quit squirming, brat," one of the men said. They unceremoniously threw me into the same cell as Speed and slammed the door home. I collapsed next to him. He was resting his body on the cement floor. His eyes were half closed, and I could still feel heat radiating from his engine.

"Speed…I'm…I'm so sorry…" I cried, leaning against his side.

"Michelle…I should be the one sorry," he whispered. The two men who threw me in here tossed some blankets and a pillow into our cell and left us alone. There was a chorus of laughter and a _ding_ of an elevator. It was now just a few Machines and me.

I hadn't moved yet to grab the stuff that was supposed to be my bed. I felt like a little girl again, hiding behind the couch when I was scared of thunderstorms. Except I would gladly stand out in the middle of a storm compared to this. I checked my cell phone, and noticed it was not picking up any signal…because it was smashed.

"_Perfect!_" I spat throwing the now useless box across the cell. The sound echoed.

"Hey…it's okay. We'll be alright…" Speed said, trying to comfort probably the both of us. His voice was hoarse, and I'm sure he was worse off than he was when he was chased a few months ago.

"I should have stayed behind…I should have suggested another route. This is entirely my fault! I nearly killed you!"

"I nearly killed you. What if I crashed?" I felt sick.

On wobbly legs, I stood up and walked around our cell. It was about as big as my garage. On either side there was a solid wall and the door looked just like a jail door. Unfortunately the bars were too close together for me to squeeze through. I peeked out into the football field sized room. In the center was a machine that sort of resembled a spider. It had four large appendages that looked like arms. The arms were connected to a body that was then connected to a computer. The dull lighting didn't allow for details, but I didn't want details. I couldn't make out the other Machines in the other cells, I couldn't even tell how many there were.

"Michelle…you might as well get some sleep…" Speed's voice entered my thoughts. I turned back to my friend with a weak smile and stepped up to the pile of bedding. I didn't realize how cool it was becoming until I sat on the cold cement ground.

"What are you doing?" Speed asked.

"Trying to get sleep," I replied with a mumble.

"Hop into the bed…I mean, it's more comfortable than the ground at least," he explained. I managed a small chuckle and threw the items into the bed and climbed in after them. I achieved a semi comfortable position and was quickly asleep.

**A/N: Sorry this took so long, life is busy XD On another note, I'm playing with the idea of the Machines being open on the interior. If you have seen Cars 2, there is a point where you see Rod's dashboard during the torture scene. It made my sometimes analytical mind wonder "if this were real, how would the camera fit in there?...it must be hollow" So there you go **


	13. Change

My body ached as I woke up. I wasn't sure how long I had been asleep, and the dusty windows lining the top rim of the warehouse weren't helping at all. I tried not to wake Speed as I climbed over the tailgate and onto the cement floor below.

I froze as I noticed the woman standing in front of our cell. She had a smile on her face, but the feeling I had from her was far from welcoming. She seemed to be calculating something in her mind.

"What do you want from us?" I whispered. She let a low chuckle escape.

"Humanity." I raised an eyebrow, but didn't have much time to ponder as a group of labcoats walked up with a towing machine. The cell door opened, but there was no room for escape. Speed woke and tried to start his engine in a panic, but the lack of gas prevented him from doing so. His eyes widened and he tried his best to shrink to the back of the cell.

One of the labcoats stepped up to Speed with a pair of wire cutters. I slipped between him and Speed; my hands were clenched into fists.

"Get outta my way, girlie," he snarled. He reached for me, and my hand reached for his nose. It connected with a crack and he let out a cry and backed off. Two more men grabbed me and handcuffed me before I could fight off anyone else. As the two men dragged me away from Speed, two other labcoats connected him to the crane. One labcoat forced Speed's hood open and cut a couple of cables, though I wasn't sure which. Speed's body went limp, or as limp as a vehicle could go. His eyes closed and I wasn't sure if he was still breathing.

"NO!" Did I just watch him die? I couldn't fight back the sob that had built up. I struggled some more, screaming in frustration, but the grip the men had on me was tight, and unlike a movie set, they weren't going to let go. We followed Speed's body out to the center of the room. The woman, with that chilling smile, handled a large remote control and guided the robotic arms to Speed's fenders.

"Don't worry, my dear. It's still alive." She turned to the computer and started typing in a code.

"Initializing in three…two…one." She hit enter and a brilliant flash of light emitted from Speed's position. There was a scream, but I couldn't tell if it was from Speed or me. The light subsided, and I was able to look back at the shaking form lying on the ground. He was clothed in a simple white T-shirt and some dark blue jeans. He was covered in a layer of oil as well, and I couldn't tell if his hair was black or if that was the oil. Speed was gone…or…no…

"What…" I couldn't complete my thought. The human stared at his hands, wiggling his fingers. His skin was pale and he looked a little sick.

"S-Speed?" I asked, my voice so quiet, I didn't know if he could hear me. He turned to look at me, fear creasing his features. My jaw hung open in disbelief.

"H…how?" he asked, his voice hoarse.

"Simple science. You Machines were the death of the human race, and I managed to find a way to reverse it. Now you can live in the human territory and not be a menace to society." I felt the handcuffs slip off my wrists, and I ran over to Speed's side. His body shook as I grabbed him for a hug. The smell of oil was strong, but at least he was alive. He managed to hug me back before he bawled into my shoulder.

"Aww…this is so cute…but disturbing. You'll be dropped off at the edge of human territory. Bring Victoria in!" the woman ordered. The little blue Crown Victoria drove in a minute later. I couldn't figure out which would be more torture, watching someone turn into a human, or turning into a human.

I carefully helped Speed stand, and let him use me as a balance. There were dark rings under his eyes, and his skin was cold. He needed help, and fast.

"He needs medicine," I croaked.

"It's a reaction to Changing. It'll be fine." Ignoring the woman's insult and helped Speed over to Victoria's open door. I could tell she was sad, and I felt so sorry for her. I eased Speed into the back seat. His weak grip on me wouldn't let go.

"Try to scoot over, Hon," I said, giving him a slight push. He managed to leave enough room for me to slip in. Victoria closed her door gently and pulled away from the torture chamber of the warehouse. Speed shook for a few more minutes and leaned against me like a scared puppy. I kept an arm over him and hummed a lullaby.

"I'm sorry you had to go through that," Victoria said once we left the city.

"I should be the one sorry you have to live with that…" I said. Speed stopped shaking, but he never let go of me. I choked back a wave of tears.

OOOOOOOO

Victoria continued quietly back to the human territory. Speed was still asleep against my side and I watched out the window to the passing countryside. The sky was overcast, and rain showers dotted the horizon.

"Ma'am told me to just drop you off at the border, but I do believe you are in a safe area of the human territory to take you all the way home." God…I wish I could just keep her at the ranch, she didn't need to go back to that mess.

"I don't want you to get into trouble, it's bad enough that you are a slave…"

"I would feel better knowing you and your friend made it home safely. I'm not sure if he's awake or not, but please let him know that I truly am sorry for having to chase him down. I was not in control at that time." Speed shifted slightly and shuddered.

"I'm sure he forgives you. If there ever is a chance that this process is reversible, I would like to know. I think Speed would like to be his true self again."

"I will keep you in mind if that should occur."

OOOOOOOO

Victoria hesitated at the border before crossing over the line. She pulled up to the ranch gate, which was closed. Speed was awake at that point, but it was painfully obvious that he was sick. Rain threatened to fall, it was starting to sprinkle.

"You don't have to go any further. Someone will be out here soon. They're probably watching the cameras right now." Victoria opened her door and I gently pulled Speed out. He leaned against me, breathing heavily. I could tell one problem was dehydration.

"I hope that he recovers," she said sadly.

"How many others are there?" I could see someone quickly walking down the driveway.

"Only a few have survived the process. Two of them are famous racers, and one worked with the cropduster. They are in a smaller human territory outside of the city, an undocumented one, but one that became official nonetheless. I should go, Ma'am times me on these errands, and I'm already pushing it." Victoria pulled away, her engine revving to push her faster toward her mistress.

"Michelle! You're alive!" Kevin said, running up. He stopped and surveyed Speed's fading condition.

"No time for celebrating. Speed needs help, and since you're one of his friends, I need your help." Kevin didn't question, though I knew he was confused. He put Speed's arm over his shoulder and helped me carry him down the driveway to the house.

OOOOOOOO

Someone managed to find clean clothes that fit Speed in one of the empty houses. Kevin cleaned him up and helped him change. Kelly gave him her room. Kevin helped Speed get comfortable in Kelly's bed and helped me fix a small meal for him. Kelly took over my spot so I could help Speed.

"Here, drink some water, it has vitamins in it to help," I said, holding a glass to Speed's mouth. He sipped at it, with some difficulty, but once he figured out how to drink the cool liquid, he was soon drinking on his own.

"Don't drink too fast, you're not quite ready to chug it down," Kevin said with a laugh. Speed stared at the scrambled egg next. I was so thankful I had chickens that could lay eggs.

After a few awkward moments, Speed ate the whole egg. He leaned back against the mountain of pillows. Some color had returned to his skin and he wasn't so cold to the touch. The rain started pounding against the window. He shivered.

"Do you need another blanket?" I asked, keeping my voice low. I wasn't sure if he had a headache or not, but I knew staying quiet would help. Speed shook his head and then closed his eyes, exhausted.

OOOOOOOO

**Speed's POV**

I was numb. From the chase yesterday to being squished down into a small body, I wasn't sure what was going on. The world spun, voices were muffled, and my vision was really blurry. I had no control of my new body. I barely remembered the events after having something in my engine cut. I remember riding in a car and thinking that it was odd. I remember wiggling fingers I didn't have just moments before. Then, I remember standing in front of the ranch.

Michelle hardly left my side, but when she did, Kevin was there. They set me in a bed and threw blankets on me to warm me up. I was so cold. The water was sweet, and the egg was salty. I needed sleep. I was so sleepy…sleep just seemed nice at that point. I felt a gentle hand run through my hair and heard a click of the light turning off.


	14. Mistakes

Speed was still sleeping soundly when I checked on him the next morning. I replaced the water on the nightstand and attempted to sneak out of the room.

"Michelle?" he whispered. I turned around to see a small smile on his face.

"Hey you. How are you feeling?"

"Like I've been run over. I'm better though."

"That's great! Kevin's making breakfast for everyone, was the egg okay?"

"The egg was just fine. Do you think I'd be able to walk around today…er…attempt to?" I stared out at the storm brewing on the horizon and bit at my lip.

"Maybe around the house, but there's a good chance it's going to rain. Your body hasn't handled rain and you're still recovering." Speed frowned a little bit. I felt sad for him. Kevin knocked on the door with a plate of scrambled eggs and a glass of orange juice.

"We'll need to move that TV back in here," he said, handing Speed the plate and setting the orange juice on the nightstand. Speed picked at the eggs for a second before figuring out how to eat. What seems like second nature to humans is something he's never experienced before, thankfully he seemed to be coping well.

"I need to go out and feed. Kevin, are you okay with installing the TV?" Kevin nodded enthusiastically before following me out toward the garage. It would be an odd day feeding from wheelbarrows after having Speed around.

OOOOOOOO

Kevin barged into my office a few hours later looking a little concerned.

"Is Speed alright?" I asked, standing in preparation to run if there was a problem.

"He's fine, but a news report just came out that a man has turned into a plane. Michelle…you could have been that guy." He was on the verge of panicking.

"I don't think they would have let me go so easily if that were the case. They're trying to get rid of machines, not turn the last of the humans into machines." When the math didn't add up…the math really didn't add up.

"But you were just there! They did this last night. News is going haywire!" I'll admit it was unusual for the machines to be reporting any news regarding humans.

"I wonder if we can sneak back and change Speed back," I mused.

"I think it's too soon. You saw how bad he was, hell, you were there! He'd probably die or something would go wrong and he'd become this truck human hybrid thing…"

"You do realize that that's what the Machines are right?" I asked with a slight smile. Kevin shook his head; clearly he wasn't in a joking mood.

"You know what I meant. I feel a war coming on…it's a strong feeling. I think we need to do something about it. To show that there are humans and Machines getting along just fine."

"With whom? Speed's not exactly a Machine right now, and even if he were, that would expose us to the fact that he'd been living here! We'd be targets for activists on both sides of the border. We're better off lying low, and when Speed's well enough, we'll go change him back." Pent up anger and regret rose to the surface like a volcano. I tried to swallow it down, knowing I would regret anything I said.

"We need to fight!" _Kevin…_ I thought hopelessly.

"We don't need to do anything! The biggest thing we need to worry about is surviving in this hellhole that's now the world. If we interfere with what's going on, someone's going to get hurt…or worse. If you want to go fight in some war, then by all means, go for it…I'm not stopping you! Just leave the ranch out of it…" I turned away from Kevin's hurt expression. Tears escaped down my cheeks.

"Michelle…I…" his voice softened. He stood quietly behind me for a few minutes. I stared out my office window, watching the rain glide down the glass. Time seemed frozen. I finally broke the silence and turned.

"I'm sorry…"

"Me too…"

"Things have been stressful lately. We're losing money, and I'm not sure what to do for the horses. You have no idea how badly I want things to go back to the way things were. Back to when we had clients and Machines that weren't trying to kill us. This is the world now, and we have to accept that what has happened is permanent." The door opened behind Kevin to reveal a sickly Speed. A few choice words bounced around in my head.

"Speed!" Kevin said, surprised. He didn't reply to Kevin, he just stared at me. Shock, pain, fatigue, anger…they were all there. I regretted what I said instantly…I didn't mean to hurt him, and I certainly didn't mean I hated him. He turned on his heels and ran out of the office and into the rain. I started after him, but Kevin stopped me.

"Give him a few minutes. He knows you care about him, and I'm sure he's smart enough to figure out that this whole thing has flipped our worlds topsy turvy and it doesn't take a few months to change everything about our lives. Keep in mind when you do talk to him though, his world just got shattered too." A headache was creeping up, but I needed to go talk to Speed.

"I screwed up royally…" I said, leaning against the wall and sliding down. Kevin squatted next to me.

"No, you just hit your tipping point. Everyone's emotionally charged…I'm guilty of that too. I was about to go mano y tire with a Machine army." I smiled at his statement.

"I need to go talk to him…assuming he's willing to talk to me…"

OOOOOOO

I walked into an empty house. Kelly was with some of the other women on the ranch.

"Speed?" I called…no answer. _Oh no…_

"Speed!" I shouted, jogging down the hallway. He wasn't there. I checked the garage; empty. I grabbed the kitchen phone and dialed Kelly's number.

"Hey sis," Kelly answered. I could hear the others laughing about something.

"Is Speed with you?"

"No…what's going on?"

"Long story short, he's mad at me, and I can't find him to talk to him."

"He shouldn't be outside…" The other line quieted down.

"I know! I'm gonna saddle up and ride around. He's not very far at least. Can you get everyone to start looking around? I'll have my radio."

"I'm on it!" she hung up and I sprinted out of my house to the barn. Kevin was standing outside of the office, watching me run. He knew exactly what happened.

OOOOOOOOO

Kevin and I rode our horses around the property at a trot. I ponied another horse for Speed. We took turns calling his name with no response.

"I think I know where he went…" I said looking up the trail to the special spot. I found a set of footprints shuffling up. I kissed my horse into a canter and rode next to the prints. Kevin followed me, but stayed a little back.

It took longer than I thought to canter up the hill. The mud was slick, and I ended up slowing the horses down to keep them from getting hurt. We made it to the top of the hill, and that's where I saw the figure lying in the mud.

"Kevin! He's up here, I need help!" I flew off of my horse and ran over to Speed. He was alive, but just. He was soaking wet from rain and mud. His skin burned from fever and he had goosebumps all along his arms. Kevin ran up and helped me pick Speed up. A small groan escaped his lips. I jumped up onto my horse and Kevin helped me get Speed up behind me. I held onto Speed as best I could and pushed my horse toward home. Kevin called a few things on over the radio, but I was too focused on getting Speed home.

OOOOOOO

I paced outside of Speed's room, hoping to hear that he was awake and okay. Kelly sat against the wall in the hallway. Kevin and Bill were cleaning him up and getting him comfortable.

"You're going to wear a hole in the carpet if you continue to do that," Kelly lightly teased.

"This is my fault…" I mumbled.

"Well…not entirely…but you were kinda at an emotional peak and the timing was kinda bad…"

"Well aren't you helpful," I replied grimly. Kevin stepped out with a small smile.

"He's awake. He wants to talk to you." He walked out followed by Bill. I stepped in and closed the door. Speed looked exhausted…again.

"I'm sorry…" I began.

"No…I overreacted. Like you said…humans tend to overreact…" he said with a chuckle. I let out a small sigh of relief…he was back to normal…ish. I walked over and sat at the edge of the bed.

"You need to rest. I'll check on you in the morning."

"Okay."

**A/N: Ponied (ponying) is when a person riding a horse is leading another horse (for all y'all who don't work with horses). **


	15. Plan X

Speed was finally well again. Though it took a few weeks. The transition from truck to human was understandably difficult. Tension rose between the human territory and the Machines. I could see people in golf carts and bicycles riding toward the border. That answered my question about which machines were affected. Some people even had horse drawn vehicles. I was grateful at that point that Speed was human and not a truck.

"There's a battle going on at the border!" Zoe announced, running into the barn. The five of us in the barn ran for the pastures to pull the horses in. We didn't want them out in case something managed to break into human territory. Zoe went back to watch the news unfold.

It took about ten minutes to pull all of the horses into their stalls, but we did it and shut the breezeway doors too. I jogged into the office to find the two sides facing off at the line. I recognized Victoria, which meant that that woman was there, in control. I shuddered; she looked conflicted, the way her eyes shifted.

"I'm tempted to rip that woman out of that car and show who our real enemy is," Speed said, walking up at the moment more machines showed up and the small group of humans moved closer to the line. I looked back at my friend in shock.

"You've got that right…" Kevin replied. _How would we do that though?_ I wondered for a second, and then got a sudden plan.

"You know what…" I began. "Let's do just that. Saddle up, we're going for a little ride."

OOOOOOOO

The roar of multiple engines was deafening over the voices of both Machine and human. Kevin, Speed, and I approached the mob calmly, keeping our horses from spooking too much. I parted from our little group to catch Victoria's eye. I wasn't sure if the woman would be able to see what Victoria sees or not, but it was worth a shot to get that wretched excuse of a human exposed.

Victoria saw me, or at least looked in my direction, and I could see a spark of recognition. Her mouth was still moving, as if she was yelling and her engine revved a couple of times. Her eyes changed to a look of pleading. That woman can't see what is going on, unless she's looking out of the window. Victoria was angled just so to where the woman wouldn't see me easily.

"Follow. My. Lead," I mouthed to her. She made a quick motion with her body as if she was nodding. I motioned for her to wait and rode back to Kevin and Speed, who were waiting far behind.

"Round one. Let's see if we can get that monster to come out and play like a human," I said in a low voice. I rode back to my spot and caught Victoria's eye again.

"Break. Down," I mouthed again, making a breaking motion and a downward push. She winced a little, but did a painfully good job at breaking down. Some of the humans just cheered as if they won something. Others stopped, rather concerned at how painful it looked and sounded. I jumped off of my horse and jogged over the line toward the little blue car. Someone from the human side yelled at me, others gasped. The Machines looked too confused at what was going on.

"Victoria, are you okay?" I asked, knowing the answer. I winked at her.

"I…I think so…Ma'am's been…I mean…noo…" Ma'am was fighting.

"Which side is your set of tools?" I guess I could teach the world something.

"What are you talking about, human?" Victoria lost. Her eyes pointed to her left side though. With purpose I walked up to the driver door and pulled it open to reveal…an empty driver's seat. _Aww Hell!_

"Did you see what that girl just did?" shouted one of the guys on the human side.

"Seems to me she made a friend," Kevin stated, walking the horses across the line. Machines shut their engines down and backed up, slightly concerned.

"She may think…she did no…she…" She was in pain, and it hurt to watch.

"Don't say anything, Victoria, especially if they aren't your words. Ladies and gentlemen, this little car is a friend. She rescued a friend and myself from a woman who is sick."

"What, you can't rescue yourself from another squishy?" a truck asked. I shushed him and try to continue my plan B speech, but Victoria was struggling with Ma'am's remote commands. With the door still open, I stepped in and tried to find any remote anything.

"You…will…not…win," Ma'am's voice said through the speaker. Suddenly, Victoria's door slammed and locked me in.

"Michelle…I'm sor…You wanna play this game? We shall…Michelle!"

"Bring it on, bitch. You've messed with the wrong bull." I guess Plan X was put into play. I looked out at Speed and Kevin shouting my name. Victoria's engine started with a roar, and with a squeal of tires, we were heading back to the city.

OOOOOOOO

**Speed's POV**

I felt so bad for Victoria. She wasn't going to fare well if she fought any longer. She was breathing slightly harder than normal, and it raised a few concerned glances in her direction. The humans remained on their side of the line, though nothing was going on now. The other cars and trucks just stared either at Kevin, Michelle, or me.

Suddenly, Victoria's door closed, Michelle's leg missing being shattered by milliseconds.

"Michelle!" Kevin and I shouted at the same time. Some of the other humans gasped, and started the riot up again. Victoria sped down the road. I prayed she and Michelle will be alright.

"They're going to turn her into a Machine! A filthy Machine." _Hey now…that hurts!_

"They're going to eat her!" shouted another human. _Eww…_

"Doubt it, Squishy meat isn't very nutritious," replied a Dodge Viper. I chuckled a little. He looked at me puzzled.

"What are you laughing at?" asked a young woman, staring at me.

"It was funny. Squishy meat…" _Well it was…_

"What's your name?" Kevin asked the Viper. If Michelle couldn't accomplish what she had wanted to, there was always room for improvising.

"Viper…?"

"Kevin. Nice to meet you! Were you from here when the change occurred?" He was so calm about talking to Viper. I noticed the six other Machines relaxing a little. The humans mumbled amongst themselves.

"No…I came from down south." Viper and Kevin sparked a conversation, which seemed to ignore the situation going on. They both laughed on occasion too.

"See, if these two strangers can get along just fine, why can't anyone else?" I said, trying to be influential.

"But what about that girl?"

"Knowing her, she'll be back unscathed," I said, trying to believe the lie. I rode the horse up to a familiar green car to start a new conversation.

"Gem?" She looked at me curiously. She wouldn't recognize me this way.

"Do I know you from Gold Star Ranch?" she asked. It was Gem! She looked fantastic!

"It's me, sorta. I got caught and this is what happened," I said, keeping my voice low. Her eyes widened in shock, which sparked a reunion conversation. At that point, I didn't care if anyone else talked to each other. I had a familiar friend to talk to.

OOOOOOOO

**Michelle's POV**

"I'm sorry, Victoria…this wasn't what I intended to happen," I said, hanging on as Ma'am pushed Victoria down the highway to the city. Her engine was at it's peak RPMs and we were pushing 120.

OOOOOOOO

Victoria finally slowed as we hit the city. The strain on her engine was evident, and she was struggling for air. We pulled into the warehouse and Victoria collapsed just inside the building.

"I'm sorry…" I squeaked. Labcoats rushed in and yanked me away from the little blue Crown Vic. They pulled me toward the machine in the center of the room.

"Do it…I dare you!" I threatened, finding a way to wriggle out of the grasp of the two men beside me. Ma'am simply chuckled, a sinister sound.

"Oh, so you heard about our little rebel did you? Why would I make more of what I'm trying to destroy when I could just get rid of you permanently?" My heart sank to my stomach. She pulled out a pistol and loaded a couple of rounds into the chamber.

I slipped out of the labcoats' grasp and raced for the main door, which was still open. _Thank goodness I've been working out still_…

A loud _Pow_ followed by a _Ping_ and a small explosion of debris next to me pulled me out of my thoughts. I rounded the corner and ran down the sidewalk. Another shot fired and hit to my right. I was being chased, though I doubted Ma'am was the one giving chase. I ran around the building's corner and found myself hopelessly cornered by a chain-link fence. I turned to see the two men, no longer in their labcoats, holding pistols. The fence was too weak for me to climb, and I would be more vulnerable turning my back on them. I threw my hands up and fell to my knees.


	16. Hostage

The cell was much smaller than the one Speed and I were in. There was a tiny cot with some bedding on it. I lost track of how long I had been in the cell…it was probably three or four days…or longer. I was in the warehouse, and every day I could hear Machines changing. The cell didn't have any windows, so I couldn't tell who was changing, only that they were all in pain. I just hoped that Victoria was okay…and Speed…and the others

I sat on the cot with my arms wrapped around my legs. I felt hopeless…I would have much rather been shot. I was given little food and water, basically enough to live. I couldn't give up, but I wasn't quite in a position to get out either. I just had to time my fight right.

OOOOOOOOO

**Speed's POV**

Things calmed at the border after the stubborn humans and Machines decided they weren't going to get anywhere. Gem didn't have a place to stay, and I managed to convince Kevin to let her live at the ranch…though it didn't take much to convince him. Five days had passed since Victoria took off with Michelle. I felt sick just thinking about what they might be experiencing.

"Speed?" Gem asked, breaking my thoughts. We were watching riders work the horses. It was cool out, but the sun was keeping the day from getting cooler.

"Hmm?" I mumbled. I flicked the dandelion I was playing with and looked back at Gem.

"Do you think we should do something? About Michelle, I mean…"

"What could we do though? That despicable woman would just Change you…and I wouldn't even wish that on my worst enemies."

"She would have to catch me first," Gem replied with a wry smile. I chuckled a little.

"I think we need to find those others who were Changed and team up against that group of scientists…just the two of us fighting would be silly." We were quiet for a few minutes. The silence wasn't awkward though.

"I know where they are!" Gem said suddenly. Thankfully none of the horses were close by, or I think a couple of them would spook.

"Where?"

"It's just outside of the city. We could talk to those guys and see how they feel about fighting. Speed…we have to end this or there is going to be a major problem." She was right. We had to fight.

"Then let's get planning!"

OOOOOOOO

**Michelle's POV**

I played nice with my captors, hoping I would get some sort of freedom. They just laughed at me. I think they were shutting down for the night. The lights were going out and the elevator _ding_ed. I heard the distinct clicking of high heels approaching my cell. I stood up, though I was short, I didn't want any excuse for that woman to feel like she had power over me. The door creaked open and Ma'am filled the opening.

"I've been thinking…instead of killing you...why not make you one of my employees. I think that would be a worse punishment than death. Especially since you seem to just _love_ those Machines." I swallowed hard. I would take a bullet over assisting in their torture. I stared hatefully at her, and her smug expression stared back. She took a step back and permitted me to walk past her. Some of the labcoats were still standing around their robot. Only a single light was illuminating the workstation. A sick feeling washed over. There was a small door open, revealing the outside. I could make a break for it now, and just run down the street until I got to a restaurant…or a gas station.

I maneuvered myself to be closest to the door. It worked surprisingly well since we were looking at the computer screen. Ma'am stood behind me. _REALLY?!_ I shifted, acting like I couldn't see the screen, even though I really couldn't, and found an opening.

Before Ma'am or the other labcoats could respond, I was already at the door. I could feel the lack of decent food catching up, and my muscles ached.

I was in a chain-linked yard. _I'm really starting to hate fences_, I thought. I didn't think too long, I could hear the others giving chase. I sprinted toward a tow truck parked in the corner of the yard.

"My apologies," I said as sincerely as possible, climbing onto his roof and vaulting over the fence. I cut my hands and my right leg on the wire edges. I twisted my right ankle as I landed and rolled a few feet. I regained my momentum and sprinted down the alley onto another road. I headed toward the city, not stopping until I couldn't hear the shouts of the labcoats. I was in a neighborhood. None of the houses had any lights on so beating against the doors for help would be senseless.

Pain and fatigue were taking over as my adrenaline levels dropped. I started to feel dizzy. I lost my footing and landed in someone's dead lawn. I coughed and dry heaved into some weeds before losing consciousness.

I wasn't sure how long I was out…it seemed like I was asleep for a while. I heard a quiet engine idle next to me. I was too weak to even say anything. I felt something behind me, and then something bumped my back. I opened my eyes…I think. My vision was blurred. I saw human figures standing in front of me.

"She's still alive," said the boy. I felt hands wrap around my arms and I was slowly pulled into a standing position, though I relied heavily on the man who was holding me. My right leg was screaming. I tried to bite back a dry sob.

"Her leg needs to be stitched up," said a young girl.

"Let's get her to a hospital," the man announced as he started walking. I was losing consciousness again.

"Dusty, we need to hurry." And that was the last thing I heard.


	17. And So it Begins

I felt tremendously better…but I didn't know how that happened. My eyes fluttered open and then closed again as the bright light invaded my vision.

"Michelle?" I heard whispered. I felt a soft hand against my arm. I moved my head slowly to the sound. Kelly's blurred figure smiled as she made eye contact.

"What's goin on?" I managed to say. I sounded drunk and my voice was gravelly.

"You're in a hospital. You were in pretty rough shape. Thankfully someone found you!" she replied. I remembered hearing an engine and seeing a few people…but I could have been dreaming too. I blinked a few times and looked around the room. I could see Kevin waiting his turn to see me.

"Where are they?"

"Gem couldn't fit in here, but she sends her love," Kevin answered walking up. He had a small bouquet of flowers in one hand and a card with several signatures in the other. I looked at the scrawls of my ranch family as well as a giant inked hoof from one of the horses.

"Gem found me?" Was Speed there too?

"And some kids from the other territory. They couldn't visit, something about planning a battle and dinnertime. Gem and Speed can fill you in on that. Anyway, Kelly, tell Michelle about the awesome news!" My medicated mind was whirring with confusion.

"As long as you are doing okay tonight, you can go home in the morning!" Kelly was a little too loud. I winced and heard a soft "sorry". I hated being on morphine…but I loved it at the same time. I wiggled my toes under my blanket, pleased to not feel any pain.

"Planning a battle?" I was still stuck on what Kevin had said. That didn't make any sense.

"Don't worry about that right now, boss. Everyone at home is worried sick about you. Even the horses seem to know something is up," Kevin replied, giving me a hug. I felt horrible about everything.

"Dusty?" I caught that name before I blacked out again. It was a vague memory.

"He's back with the kids. Nice guy, he was that cropduster that won that race."

"Change?" I couldn't master a full thought…a word would have to do. On the plus side, I wasn't in pain.

"Yeah, he and a few others in that area were Changed. Don't worry right now. Hey, there's one other person who wants to see you, then we need to head home. Visiting hours are almost up."

OOOOOOOO

**Speed's POV**

I wonder if that was how I looked when I Changed. She was pale, and her face was thin. I stood nervously outside of the room while Kevin and Kelly talked to her. I felt uncomfortable being in the hospital and leaving Gem by herself in the parking lot…even though she insisted she was fine.

Gem told me what happened when she found Michelle. I spent the evening cleaning bloodstains off of the seats and floorboards. I felt sick after seeing how much blood there was. We chatted with Dusty, Andy, and Olivia while Kevin and Kelly took care of paperwork for Michelle. I found out Andy's and Olivia's dad was the man who Changed into a plane, Dusty was the cropduster, and then there were three others at the kids' farm who all lived through that horrible transformation.

Kevin opened the door and knocked me out of my thoughts. He waved for me to come in. My grip on a little stuffed horse I found in the hospital's gift shop tightened as I walked in. Michelle smiled lightly at me, though I could tell she was really out of it.

"Hey you," she managed to say in a tired voice. Kevin guided me to Michelle's side. I was afraid of bumping any of the machinery attached to her. One of her bandaged hands found mine and I felt a reassuring squeeze. I didn't realize I was crying.

"I'm not dying, silly," she giggled. I handed her the little stuffed horse. It was a light brown with a big white star on its face. She took it and, with some effort, sat up to give me a hug. She also gave Kelly and Kevin a hug goodbye.

"Do we have to go?" I asked watching the others start for the door.

"Yeah, we do. We'll see her in the morning when we pick her up," Kelly stated.

"She just needs to behave herself," chuckled Kevin. Michelle made a face. _I wonder if she'd been in the hospital before?_ Humans were so fragile.

"Bye, Michelle," I said following the others out of the door. She waved goodbye as a nurse walked in. The door closed and I followed everyone down to the parking lot.

"How is she?" Gem asked when we walked up. She opened her doors for us. After she realized we could do that, she felt like she had a purpose again.

"She's gonna be fine. She feels pretty good right now," Kevin said with a snicker. Gem pulled away from the hospital, but all I could look at was the four-story building shrinking in the distance. It had started raining at one point, and everything shined from the streetlights and Gem's headlights as we headed home. The streets were empty, which I didn't expect traffic anyway. The others were talking about bringing Michelle home. I just listened quietly.

OOOOOOOOO

**Michelle's POV**

_Poor Speed_, I thought when I watched him walk out. He was so much like a child, and yet, he knew so much too. Being forced into the human world with no real knowledge of what life was like I'm sure was not beneficial to his sanity. I stroked the little horse thoughtfully while the nurse fussed with my IV bag. My leg itched from the medicine on the six-inch cut on my leg. The doctors told me I was fortunate it wasn't deep. My hands weren't so bad either.

I thought about the battle plans Kevin had mentioned. I wanted in…whatever they were doing, I wanted to be a part of it. This whole situation became more personal.

"Miss Reese, are you hungry?" the nurse asked. By the tone of her voice, she had repeated herself at least once or twice while I was lost in thought.

"Um…a little," I replied, my stomach grumbling its answer. I lost more than a few pounds being in that cell. Soup was definitely not going to be on the menu for the next…forever.

"I'll be right back with some food then," the nurse answered cheerfully. I leaned my head back and felt myself stretch what I could. I was stiff, and thankfully the morphine masked what I'm sure would have been unpleasant.

The nurse arrived with a steaming food tray. I knew food was becoming a luxury item the longer the Machines decided we weren't worth living…but I wasn't expecting soup when the tray was lowered for me to see. It was a heartier soup though, and I ate it grateful to just have more than a cup.

OOOOOOOO

It was good to be home. The doctor said that I would be fine to do regular work in a few days. Speed was more than happy to have me home as well was Ruger. That dog never left my side the entire day.

"What's first on your agenda?" Kelly asked once I cleaned myself up from the hospital smell.

"Steak…and maybe some baked potatoes. There's still some of that stuff around right?" A week away from home was just as bad as months.

"Paul and Zoe just picked some of the first vegetables of our winter crop. We have some tri-tip left in the freezer," Kelly replied. _So much better than soup…_

OOOOOOOO

The scabbing stopped itching after a week and I was finally allowed to join the "super secret battle" club. It was nearing Thanksgiving, and I would be more than thankful to have this mess over with and for world peace. Gem took Kevin, Speed, and me over to the other territory where we would meet with the others.

"So glad to see you walking by yourself," one man said stepping up. Two kids ran up beside him.

"I'm glad too. Thanks for your help, Dusty," I said, extending a hand. "I'm Michelle." I figured he knew, but I felt I should be sort of formal. He took my still bandaged hand carefully. My hands weren't too bad, but I cherished having them clean with the bandages. The little girl, who I came to learn was Olivia, ran up and gave me a hug. I returned it with a giggle.

"I want to come see your horses when this whole thing is over," Olivia said.

"Sure thing!"

"Let's head into the back, Dad has some diagrams of that building and the machine." We all followed Andy to a spacious back yard. There was an old picnic table with some papers weighed down by rocks the size of softballs. Olivia grabbed a little bike and rode off to play with their dog. A blue and white cropduster, who I realized was Andy's dad, was parked next to the bench. Another couple was sitting at the bench already as well. The woman had braces on her legs and hands and the man was wearing something like a green and black race suit. It wasn't too hot out, but it was warm enough that he could have been fine without it. The woman, Dottie, smiled sweetly at me while the man, Ripslinger, was eyeing us suspiciously. Another man, Lightning, walked out of the house with cookies and a pitcher of lemonade.

"Okay, so I call getting that woman," I said maybe a little too enthusiastically. I had no idea what I would do, but she would pay dearly for what she had caused.

"No way…you leave her to me," Rip said with a growl in his voice. The others were already discussing plans without us as I watched Rip try to intimidate me. It was kinda funny.

"You know…your death glare hasn't killed me yet. You might as well stop while you don't have a headache," I told him. His eyes narrowed.

"Are you two gonna do this or not?" asked Andy, rather impatiently. Rip looked away first, and I smirked a little.

"Sorry," Rip said irritated. Yeah…we were going to get along just fine.

"Okay, so we need to do this as soon as possible. They're running out of victims, or they are out." After I said that, I realized that I had no idea how many vehicles were at the facility.

"Yeah, we don't need anyone else Changing," Brody said with a hint of regret in his voice.

"So when are we going to do this?" Speed asked.

"Tonight!" Andy replied.


	18. Take Down

**A/N: If you want a good soundtrack song to this scene, I suggest "The Heist" by Approaching Nirvana.**

The group stood just a block away from the building. I never realized it was as tall as it was. It stood four stories, but the bottom two stories were definitely the holding cells. There were a couple of lights on in the top two floors, but for the most part, the building was dark. My body shook from the adrenaline that started pumping into my veins. I checked the gun that I hoped I didn't have to use and sighed.

"Spread out. We need to surround the building as best we can," Andy said. Rip and I ended up together since we both wanted directly at the woman. I still had no idea what was going to happen. We picked up a little jog to get around to the back. My leg was a little sore, and my muscles ached from so much rest.

We made it to the fence and saw the tow truck I climbed over. Rip and I at the same time put a finger to our lips to keep the truck from freaking out. He eyed our handguns nervously. I was only going to use blanks. I didn't know what Rip had in his gun, but I wasn't going to ask. We used the truck as cover as we cut the fence down with a pair of wire cutters. I slipped in first with Rip following right behind. We were now in position, and now we wait for the other teams.

I saw two quick flashes of light from Kevin's flashlight. We were going in. Suddenly the world melted around as I focused on the mission. Rip and I would go find the woman and do something with her.

I heard some gunshots go off and voices shouting. Rip kicked the door open and rushed in. I followed suit and we raced against the wall to keep out of eye of the labcoats being ambushed. More men and women rushed out of the elevator, but none of them were the woman we needed. A younger guy was standing in the elevator, looking a little pale. He was holding a small gun and when Rip and I entered, he pointed it at us. Rip chuckled a little. I rolled my eyes and grabbed the gun from the guy. I pinned him against the wall.

"Where is she?" I asked.

"S-she's in her office…top floor t-to the left at the end of the building…" I let the guy go, but held onto his gun.

"Get on your knees now, and do NOT leave this elevator," I ordered. He nodded, shaking. The elevator rose up to the top floor and the doors revealed an office floor with cubicles and several rooms.

"And why aren't you going to shoot him?" Rip asked.

"I'm not the killing type," I replied. The office area was empty; everyone was fighting at the main floor. Rip and I followed the wall to a single office room. Rip kicked the door in and Ma'am was found cornered.

"Why am I not surprised you are involved with this?" she asked, looking directly at me.

"Why am I not surprised you're cowering up here letting the others risk their lives for you? You're not worth their death," I countered.

"Can I just shoot her now?" Rip asked. I shook my head.

"Do it…" she pressured.

"No…I have something else in mind. Rip, make sure she doesn't fight." Rip put his gun down and grabbed Ma'am's arms and forced them behind her back. She yelped a little, but pride was keeping her from giving up. I walked up with my pistol ready. She stared at the weapon hatefully.

"So you're not going to kill me?" she asked rather surprised.

"No, but turning you into a Machine might," I said. Rip looked rather surprised.

"We don't know how to run that thing!" he said. Ma'am just smirked. I trained my gun at her and that shut her up.

"No, but we have someone on our team who does. Make sure she doesn't run away. But if she does, I have a couple of bullets that can make her regret her decision."

The guy was still in the elevator. He pushed the button down for us and soon we were entering a war zone. I wasn't sure how many bodies were…well bodies…but I knew one thing was for certain our little group had won. There were Machines still in their now open cells. Many of them looked like they needed help.

The group stood in a tight circle near the machine. Andy was lying by their feet.

"What happened?" I asked running up. Rip held the fidgeting woman a little tighter.

"Andy got shot in the leg. It's pretty bad…" Kevin replied hoisting the kid up with Dusty's help. Andy's leg was barely recognizable.

"What's she doing here?" Andy managed to ask.

"She's going to be Changed and then taken to prison."

"They won't put a Machine in prison," she protested.

"Trust me, I'm doing you a favor Changing you," I retorted.

"No…" Speed said.

"Why not, she needs to suffer like we did," Rip said, tightening his grip.

"She can just rot in prison, it's not like she's get away with this."

"You'd all join me then, since you killed my men!" Ma'am shouted. Sirens wailed and were growing louder.

"They're knocked out, they'll come to later, but by that point, you'll all be behind bars." Three police cruisers rolled in at that point, surveying the scene.

"Is that the woman?" One of them asked. Rip dragged Ma'am toward the cruiser. At that point two human officers rolled up on bikes and one in an electric cart.

"We're gonna need more guys," said one officer. He called for backup on the radio and then parked his bike.

"So basically everyone lying on the ground is involved with this situation, and then there's one guy in the elevator, but he just sat in the elevator, don't be too hard on him…anyway…yeah…we'll clean the place up, we just need the bad guys removed," I stated.

"Who's in charge?" asked another officer.

"The woman right over there," pointed Kevin. "She is responsible for the deaths of many people. I'm sure if you ask some of her employees, they'd be able to tell you how many."

OOOOOOOO

It took an hour to arrest everyone and to take them away. The human officers learned about riding with the patrol vehicles and through surprisingly little conflict, they were working together again. All that was left was to care for the vehicles still watching from their cells. From the experiences I've had here, they were all out of fuel or something was cut. I left the rest of my group to look for one particular car.

I couldn't find Victoria inside the building, so I worked my way to the back area where the tow truck was.

"How are you condition wise?" I asked.

"I'm low on fuel, but I'm otherwise fine, why?" he asked.

"We need to get those inside to someplace where they can all be repaired. You okay with doing that?"

"Let me go fill up and I'll be glad to get them away from here." He started his engine and rolled away. I turned to my search again and was rewarded seeing a familiar blue paint job. I jogged up, hoping to see a happy grill.

Her eyes were closed and she looked like she had been beaten badly. Her hood was crooked and there were dents where hands must have pried it open. She had a couple of cracks in her windshield.

"Vic…Victoria?" I said. _I did this to her…_ I started crying.

"Mich…elle…" I heard her say. I saw an eye slowly open, though it looked painful.

"I'm so sorry…" I couldn't finish what I wanted to say, I leaned against her fender and sobbed.

"It's okay…not your fault…worse than it is…" She shifted her weight to lean against me as if she was giving a hug. She was trembling a little.

"When we Change Speed back, we'll have him take you to get some help. We won, Victoria…no more turning into human. Except for that one guy, but he was human to begin with," I said with a small smile. Victoria gave a little chuckle before closing her eyes and getting comfortable.

"We'll get you out of here soon. Rest easy," I said before making my way back to the group. A light rain started to fall, which made me stop and look back at the little blue car. I spun around, and successfully found a tarp. I checked for spiders and yanked the tarp off of a pile of wood. I rushed it over to Victoria.

"This isn't great, but this'll keep most of you dry," I said, laying it on her roof.

"Thanks." I turned and ran back into the building just as it started to rain harder.

"Michelle! Where'd you go?" Dusty asked once I made it in.

"Looking for Victoria. She's in really rough shape…"

"She'll be the next one to go then when Maverick gets back then," Dusty stated.

"Where are all of these cars going to go?" Andy asked. I didn't realize he was sitting under the machine.

"What are you doing?" I asked.

"They turned my leg into part machine!" he exclaimed showing off the metallic leg with a little wheel like landing gear…thing. Now that didn't make…_nevermind_…

"Well…no more blood loss, that works!"

OOOOOOOO

Maverick finished taking everyone to the Machine hospital and took off, no longer wanting to be apart of the building anymore. Brody rolled into the building. He stayed back, afraid to show himself to his coworkers. He would be next in the process since he knew how to work the reversal. He walked Speed and Kevin through how to hook up the arms and what to type in the computer.

"Three…Two…One!" Kevin hit enter. Brody braced himself as the light began. He didn't cry out, but I could hear him fighting back the pain. After a few seconds, an older man replaced where the cropduster had been. He shook a little and coughed.

"Are you okay to do this, Dad?" Andy asked. Brody nodded and managed to right himself on two feet. He was covered in a thin layer of oil, which by the look on his face, he wasn't pleased about.

"I'm fine. That was a little easier to do than becoming a plane. Who's next?"

One by one, the Machine-turned-humans Changed back to their old selves. It was a long night, as the machine needed time to reset. Once that was done, we all took turns breaking the machine with a large piece of wood I found in the back.

We finished when dawn started peeking over the mountains. I was tired, and about to fall asleep standing. Speed rolled up behind me and let me lean against his grill.

"It's good to have you back, Hon," I said patting his hood. A tired smile played in his eyes.

"It's good to be back."

"Let's go home, shall we?" I asked standing. Speed opened his door for me.

"I'll go with Gem," Kevin stated, walking over to the little green car who also opened her door. Rip didn't want to hang out, and left almost immediately. Brody, Olivia, Andy, Dottie, Lightning, and Dusty were talking amongst themselves.

"You guys need a lift?" Speed asked them. Poor Dottie wouldn't do well in the rain, being so small. She could fit in Speed's bed and then the others could ride in his cab with me.

OOOOOOOO

I was too tired to move by the time Speed and I pulled onto the ranch. Speed parked in the garage and I think fell asleep before I could undo my seatbelt and get out. I was too tired…I simply fell asleep in the driver's seat.


	19. Resolve

A few weeks passed by quietly while the news spread around the world about Ma'am's endeavors. I had phone calls from reporters and talk show hosts begging for me to talk. After some thought, I made the announcement that I would prepare something to say to broadcast it worldwide. Andy was getting bugged as well, and decided that he would do the same, but he would talk to the Machines. I would rather talk to them…but the humans had to comply also.

I stood behind the makeshift stage shaking from nerves and from the cold snap the state was experiencing. Speed was parked next to me looking equally as nervous. He looked nice from being washed and having new stickers and magnets put on him. He complained when we put them on, saying he was a rolling advertisement. Then I gently reminded him of buses and taxis and he quit his complaining. We had come early enough that no one saw him, though I'm sure some people had figured it out.

"You ready?" I asked, trying to shake the anxious energy. He made a nodding motion just as my name was announced. I didn't expect a roaring audience…but I didn't expect dead silence either. My footsteps echoed on the hollow stage as I approached the microphone. My note cards were crumpled in my hands, though I knew for the most part what I was going to say.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I'm going to make this quick as possible. When the big Change initially happened, we all panicked. I did too. I saw the news stories as they were unfolding, and I wanted every Machine off of the ranch. Then, I took a step back and looked at this logically. If Machines were as bloodthirsty as they seemed at the beginning…then why was everyone on my ranch still alive? Why was _I_ still alive? I decided to just talk to my truck…as weird as it sounded at the time. He told me that he doesn't hate me; he has a home, he has someone to take care of him…he had no reason to hate humans. I'm not defending Machine or human that did kill or hurt…morally that was wrong, and they should all be properly taken care of. But we all got off on the wrong foot…or tire… Anyway, let's be a little more open minded to our new world. Let's get rid of that stupid line. They need jobs, a purpose, and we can give them that purpose. I know I will be. Speed, come on out." Speed rolled out to the front of the stage. There were some gasps and the audience moved back even though there was plenty of space for him to park there. Some of the kids wiggled through the adults to get a closer look. If he could, I bet Speed would have been blushing from stage fright.

"Why can't we just get along? I was never harmed by the Machines, what sent me to the hospital was a clinically insane human." I turned and walked to the backstage area. Speed followed quietly. The audience stayed quiet. I could hear someone cough and a few sniffles from the cold air, but otherwise there was no clapping or cheering. Speed opened his door for me, and we hurried back to the ranch before the rain began to fall.

OOOOOOOOO

Things returned to the new normal for life on the ranch after a week. The Machine news replayed Andy's speech daily and the human news replayed my speech daily. Speed and Gem said radio stations were also discussing the speeches. Nothing seemed to change much in town, though stores did start accepting delivery trucks, which was a start.

Life at the ranch had its own routine, and we had Speed and Gem to help us, not to mention the occasional Machine who would need a place to stay for a day or two. Sometimes there would be a family going on a vacation with their car…but that was rare. I had a feeling the melding of the two groups would take a little longer than a few weeks.

I was sitting in my office working on some paperwork when the alarm went off saying the gate was opening. I stepped out to see down the driveway to see a flash of blue in the winter sun. As the figure drove closer, a grin spread across my face and I sprinted toward the car.

"Victoria's here!" I shouted through my radio. I could hear the sound of engines driving behind me as I approached Victoria. Whoever worked on her did a fantastic job.

"Hey guys," she said with a smile.

"Hey, you look great!" Kevin said jogging up behind me.

"They just let me go yesterday. I hate to ask…but do you have a spare space in a garage for a lone car to live in?" _We have plenty of space…it's a shame those employees didn't come back._

"Of course! I have a two car garage if Gem doesn't mind having a roommate?" Kevin asked.

"C'mon, I'll take you over to our home." Gem led Victoria over to Kevin's garage. I was glad she wasn't mad at me…I would still feel horrible about what happened to her though.

OOOOOOOO

Six months passed before we started seeing any changes. Humans and Machines started getting along much more, and the economy started slowly growing again. Things were looking up! Some of the employees who left came home and were glad that those who stayed didn't let all of the food spoil. I started gaining some of my old clients back. I managed to buy some property next to me to make a landing strip for Dusty to visit with Olivia and Andy. It really was a storybook ending for what happened only a year ago.


End file.
